


Heart Strings

by ScarletWinter2478



Category: Bucky Barnes - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Intrigue, Love, Magic, Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-18 04:28:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18242396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarletWinter2478/pseuds/ScarletWinter2478
Summary: Heart Strings: The deepest feelings or affections: a tug at the heartstringsA garage apartment, a lonely woman in harm's way, a dark stranger and a priceless violin come together to create a sweet love story.Bucky Barnes was thrilled when he stumbled across the ad for the apartment; it sounded perfect.  Holly Baxter, struggling to make ends meet couldn't have been more pleased as Bucky drove up on his bike, money in hand and ready to move in.The sparks that ignited between them were real, far too real for Holly who refused to allow anything to happen between them... until it did.A love story.  A mystery.  A little magic...    Heart Strings





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is truly a simple love story, born out of happenstance and dumb luck... the way most love stories are.
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading about Bucky and Holly as much as I enjoyed telling their story. I strongly recommend that you visit YouTube to listen to "Jar of Hearts" performed by William Joseph and Caroline Campbell, it will definitely tug at your heartstrings! Enjoy!

 

It was early evening and a light breeze was adding a mild chill to the air. The sun had played hide and seek behind the clouds all day, after a pesky cold front had moved in the night before, but that hadn’t stopped a good majority of the townsfolk from forgoing jackets and long sleeves for the comfort of t-shirts and ball caps.  Holly had worked the early shift and raced home to straighten up the garage apartment and air it out a bit before showing it to a prospective renter.    She knew the place was on the smaller side, but it was cozy and clean and she didn’t think she was asking an inordinate amount of rent like some others around town tended to do.  She didn’t really like the idea of having a stranger living under what was ‘technically’ her roof, but she needed the money and the rooms were going to waste, so it had only made sense to place the ad in the paper.

Standing at the kitchen window, she saw the motorcycle pull into the end of her driveway and watched the driver swing his long leg over the bike and remove his helmet as he gazed toward the detached garage and up the flight of stairs that led to the apartment. He didn’t look anything like she had pictured the man behind the voice on her phone earlier that day.   Smoothing her hair back, she stepped to the screen door and pushed it open, walking out to greet him.

“Hello, you must be David,” she offered him her hand as she reached the driveway. Smiling, he took it, shaking his head…

“Hi… I, uh, no, I’m not David.”

She gave him a crooked smile, “You didn’t call about taking a look at the apartment?”

“No ma'am… I was a few blocks over having a cup of coffee when I saw the ad in the paper and drove straight over. Should I have called first?”

Blushing for no logical reason that she could think of, she took a step back and explained. “Oh, I see. uh, a gentleman named “David” called earlier today and asked to see the apartment at 5:00.  But, since it is nearly 6:00 and he hasn’t shown up, I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t take a look… hold on a sec while I grab my phone.”

As she walked up the stairs to the house, Bucky watched with great interest as her hips swayed in a delightful way and her short skirt gave him an enticing view of her shapely legs. After just a few seconds, she came back out and joined him in the driveway.

“As you can see, it’s your typical garage apartment set-up; those stairs are the only direct access to it and in case you were wondering, the garage itself is used more or less for storage… I don’t park in it so there won’t be any fumes or anything to bother you. But if you wanted to park your bike in there, I think there is plenty of room for it.”

As they reached the top of the stairs, Holly could feel his eyes on her. She opened to door and they stepped inside.   Bucky looked around and nodded as he touched the round table just off the kitchen.  As he expected, it was small, with the kitchen, dining, and living areas all combined in the front, a good sized bathroom and fairly large bedroom at the back.  He went to every window and peeked out, smiling as he took in how clean it all was.  The counter tops were granite, and the cabinets were real wood painted white.   There was a gently used sofa bed, a recliner chair, a 36 inch flat screen t.v. and a bookshelf filled with a variety of reading material.  In the bedroom he found a queen size bed, a tall chest of drawers and a decent sized closet. The bathroom was recently updated and there was a linen closet with plenty of room for towels and sheets.

“Wow… this… this is really so much nicer than I imagined it would be,” he gave her wide grin; “I’ll take it if you’ll have me!”

Holly had been watching him closely as he had inspected every corner and couldn’t stop the flutter in her chest as he smiled several times at what he was seeing. What **she** saw was a singularly beautiful man, with his thick brown hair hanging well below his collar, scruffy bearded face, sparkling blue eyes, brilliant smile, long legs and large frame belying the soft voice and the care that he took as he had made his way around the apartment.  He was a miss-matched hodge-podge of characteristics that she found intriguing as well as quite charming.   She could tell that he liked the place but was still a little surprised by his pronouncement that he was ready to move in.

“Oh! I’m glad you like it… but don’t you have any questions?  Like maybe, how much the rent is and if there are any noisy neighbors or barking dogs or much crime or…. Anything like that?” she smiled at him and he nodded, gracing her with his adorable grin.

“Right! Umm… why don’t you tell me what you think I should know?”

Fighting back a girlish giggle that seemed to risen from nowhere, she began, “Okay. I’m asking $700 a month, with first and last month’s rent up front.  If you decide you just don’t like it here before the end of the first month, I’ll pro-rate your refund and if you decide after the first month, I get to keep the deposit.  The rent is negotiable if you could or would be interested in helping me with a few things like mowing and watering the garden and any small repairs that may come up.”

Bucky was nodding his head as if to say it sounded more than fair to him.

“Also, I do have a rental agreement form that I would need you to fill out, with some personal information, but of course I would honor your privacy completely. Uhh... you can use the furniture that is here, or if you have your own that you would rather use, we can move most of this down to the garage.  And if you see something else down there that you think you might want to bring up, feel free to do that.”

She hesitated for just a moment, looking slightly uncomfortable. “You… you can have overnight guests once in a while, but nothing permanent unless you clear it with me first. And as you see the place **is** small so if you could restrain from having any larger gatherings it would be easier all the way around.  And … in the spirit of full disclosure, I should tell you that I occasionally bring home dogs or cats that need a break from the shelter while I try to find them forever homes. I also play violin in the local orchestra… so… I do practice a lot, but generally never late at night.  Of course if that proves to be a problem for some reason, I’m sure we could find a way to work around it.”

Taking a deep breath, she bit her bottom lip then sighed. “Does any of this seem less than acceptable?”

“It sounds perfect to me. I’m James Buchanan by the way, but my friends call me Bucky.”

“Bucky… I like that! I’m Holly Baxter and my friends call me … Holly!”

He chuckled and asked, “So Holly, when can I move in?”

“I don’t know Bucky… when CAN you move in?” she smiled playfully and his pulse quickened.

“Well, let me fill out your rental form and hand you some cash and I’ll be sleeping here tonight!”

“Oh gosh! Okay.” She pulled open one of the kitchen drawers and took out a pen and a form, handing it to him to work on.  “Just... fill this out and I’ll run back over to the house to grab a few things and be right back.”

“Great!” Bucky took a seat at the table and started filling out the form as Holly returned to the house to fill up a basket with a few food items, bottled water, extra sheets and a couple of sets of towels, along with her extra key to the apartment. Her phone pinged once with a notification from the “no show David” saying he was sorry he’d had something come up and would need to reschedule.  She felt a slight twinge of guilt for just a moment, but reasoned that if he had called sooner so she would know that he was still interested she would have handled Bucky a little differently.  With a soft sigh she grabbed the basket and went back to the apartment.

“Here we are,” she said happily as she joined Bucky in the kitchen. He was tapping the pen on the table and chewing on his lip, looking as if something was bothering him.  When she spoke he looked up and gave her a brief smile. 

“Miss Baxter, I … we need to talk.”

“Please, call me Holly. Is there a problem with the rental agreement?”

“No, not at all. It’s me.  I wasn’t completely honest with you before and if you find out after I move in you’ll probably throw me back out on the street. You may anyway; I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”

Her nerves started jangling as he spoke. She thought she had recognized him earlier, but didn’t want to say anything.

“My name IS James Buchanan… Barnes. I’ve been involved in some pretty crazy stuff, a lot of it really bad and even though most of it wasn’t my fault…”

“You mean when you were the Winter Soldier?” her voice was soft and non-condemning.

He gave her a contrite look and nodded slowly.

“I am so glad you decided to tell me now! I was hoping you would. I’ve read a few articles about HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers and YOU and… well, it’s really okay.  I think maybe you deserve a break and I’m happy to give you the benefit of the doubt.”

Bucky was staring at her with his big blue eyes and suddenly he grinned widely. “Really? That… is so kind of you. Thank you.  Thank you so much!”

Holly grinned too and showed him the basket of goodies she had brought. “I know there’s not much food here, but I was planning on grocery shopping in the morning and maybe you would like join me?”

He thought about it for a moment then nodded, “Yeah… that would be great.  And here… is the first month’s rent and my deposit,” he pulled a white business sized envelope from under his vest and opened it to pull out $1,400.  As he counted out the bills and placed them in a pile on the table, Holly felt like it was way too much.  When he finished, he picked up the stack of money and held it out to her.  Noticing the look on her face he asked her softly, “Is something wrong?  I promise I earned this, I didn’t steal it or anything.”

“What??! No!!  I wasn’t thinking that at all!  I, I was thinking maybe I’m asking too much for such a small place… “

He laughed out loud, “Oh shit… have you looked at apartments in the newspaper lately? This is more than fair and I’m happy to be here.”

“So, you’re telling me I should be asking more?” Holly teased, her eyes twinkling.

Bucky chuckled, “I’m telling you this is really a good deal… and I will be happy to help you with any odd jobs you need me to do.”

She giggled and told him, “Well then, I better let you start settling in. If you stop by around 8:30 in the morning, I’ll even treat you to breakfast before we go shopping.”

“Thank you Holly, I’ll be there.”

“Good night Bucky.”

“Good night.”

 

A few hours later, Bucky was sitting on the stairs that led up to his apartment, smoking a cigarette, enjoying the night air and the very thought that he now had his own place, with no need to constantly look over his shoulder; a place where he could relax and call home. He had been more or less a Nomad the past few months, searching for a place that felt comfortable.  After the battle between Tony Stark and Capt. America, the Avengers had basically fallen apart and he had stayed with Steve for several months.  Together with Sam Wilson and several other friends, Steve had reformed his own group of “Avengers 2.0” that worked mostly outside the norm.   Bucky’s arm was replaced, his criminal status was no longer an issue thanks to Steve and his friends in high places; and he was more or less free to finally, finally have a life of his own.  Steve had been a little hurt when Bucky told him that he needed to take some time to figure out who he really was and what he should be doing; but he understood and even found a way to supply him with transportation and access to a reasonable amount of money for Bucky to use until he could get settled somewhere.

Taking a deep breath and sighing with contentment he noticed a light come on upstairs in the main house. He sat up a little straighter when he saw Holly walk past the open window wearing only a short white night shirt of some kind.  Apparently she was getting ready to turn in as she pulled a clip from her hair, allowing it to tumble down around her shoulders.  She sat on the edge of the bed and brushed it out as he told himself he should look away, but he just kept watching.  The light behind her wasn’t very bright, casting shadows across the room, so his imagination was actively filling in the details as she leaned across the bed, gathering the extra pillows and tossing them in a pile on the floor; her night shirt rising higher and higher as she reached for that last one.

“Shit,” he scolded himself. “If she sees me out here playing peeping-tom... I’m as good as gone.” With that he crushed his butt, dropping it in a coffee can he had found under the kitchen sink. Standing, he pulled open the screen door and went inside.  As he turned to close the main door, he saw her again, staring in his direction for a moment before she pulled the window curtains tightly together.

Bucky decided a shower was a very good idea. A cold one.


	2. Chapter 2

 

Holly was greeted early the next morning with an unexpected phone call; a co-worker had called in sick and her boss wanted her to work a half day shift. Never one to turn down extra pay, she agreed and quickly dressed and threw together an easy breakfast of nuked bacon, scrambled eggs and toast with jam.  She put most of it on a tray to carry over to Bucky and then added a small thermos bottle full of coffee; after all, she HAD promised him breakfast.   She called the cell number he had listed on his rental form a couple of times, getting no answer.   Drumming her fingers on the counter top, she decided to go ahead and take it to him so she could be on her way to work.

She carefully climbed the stairs, knocked a few times then checked the door to find it unlocked. Stepping inside she noticed several boxes stacked against one wall and a baseball cap hanging off a hook on the wall.  Otherwise, the place was still just as it had been last night when Bucky had looked at it.  She could hear water running in the shower as she placed the breakfast tray on the table, thinking she would talk to him later.  At that moment the bathroom door opened and a glistening wet, totally naked Bucky stepped out into the hallway, freezing in place.

Holly froze too as she gazed wide-eyed at the impressive man on display before her. She didn’t want to stare, she really didn’t, but his body was amazing from the thick brown hair dripping water onto his broad chest; rippling abs; trailing to his trim waist and… on down…  Suddenly, she closed her eyes and holding her hand up to shield her eyes she croaked, “Oh my god!  I… I am so sorry!  I tried to call you and got no answer… obviously you were in the shower… and I just came on over to drop this off and…and…” her bright pink cheeks were proof of how embarrassed she was. 

Allowing herself to take a quick peek, she was surprised to see Bucky still standing there naked as a blue jay not even attempting to cover himself, with a bemused look on his face. Closing her eyes again, Holly turned her face away.  Bucky, who had been treated like a piece of meat during his years with HYDRA and had pretty much lost his sense of modesty, finally realized that Holly was seeing him as a man, not just a piece of meat to be used and dismissed. 

 “Oh! Wait! ... Just stay right there and I’ll put some clothes on.  Please.  I’ll be right back.”

And he **was** back in just about 20 seconds having pulled on a pair of light weight sweat pants and draping a towel around his neck to cover the scars on his shoulder.

Giving him a sheepish look, Holly apologized again, “Bucky I am so sorry. I promised you I would respect your privacy and I just _walked_ in.  I don’t know **what** I was thinking.  It won’t happen again…” she looked down, thinking she should have run while she had the chance.

“Please Holly, don’t be upset. It’s really okay.  I left the door unlocked and you are accustomed to having the run of the place and … I promise it’s no big deal.”  Unfortunately, as he spoke, he couldn’t help but remember the sight of her in the window the night before.  An unbidden stirring rose in his loins and he knew that memory was not all that was going to rise if he didn’t change the subject quickly.  “I see you brought breakfast… did our plans change?”

Looking at the tray, then finally into his sparkling eyes, she nodded, “Yes, I got a call from my boss and I need to go in for a few hours… so I brought you the breakfast I promised.”

“That’s great! I mean, I’m sorry you have to work, but I really appreciate the breakfast. I’ll return the favor sometime.”  He immediately wondered why he’d added that last part.  He didn’t want her to think that he assumed that they would be having breakfast together all the time.

Nodding, Holly looked away again. “Okay then… I really have to run now.  Have a good day.”

“Right… you too… Thanks again!” he called after her as she pushed the door open and stepped outside.

“You’re welcome!” he barely heard her soft reply as she raced down the stairs, apparently quite eager to get away from him.  

 

Bucky used the towel to soak up some of the excess water from his hair, then sat at the table and began eating from the breakfast tray. The whole scene played again in his mind as he enjoyed a piece of crispy bacon and he couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking his head as he recalled the look on Holly’s face.  He decided he should talk with her later and put her mind at ease.  He didn’t want her to be uncomfortable every time they were together just because of one innocent mishap!

After a quick trip the nearest market, he was unloading the side bags on his bike when he got a familiar yet uncomfortable feeling… someone was watching him. He stopped what he was doing, but rather than look around, he closed his eyes and listened.  He heard the usual outdoor sounds, traffic a few blocks away, a couple of kids laughing as they walked along the sidewalk, a dog barking… now make that two dogs barking; the sound of a television coming from an open window; birds… one bird very upset about something.  He zeroed in on that sound, focusing on the ground below the unhappy bird… and that’s when he spotted the man wearing dark jeans and a green shirt allowing him to blend in quite well with the background. 

Most people would have missed him, but Bucky wasn’t most people. He held his ground, waiting for the man to make some kind of move when all at once a group of boys riding their bicycles at break neck speeds raced down the street between him and his view of the stranger.  He saw the man take off through the back yard of the neighbor’s house, jump the fence and run into a field beyond.   He could have caught him.  But he figured he would get another chance.  Once people honed in on him, they didn’t usually give up so easily.

As he unloaded the groceries and put them away, he wondered who the man was working for or if he was just a guy who wanted to see the ‘freak’.  He knew that he was going to be a target for the rest of his life.  Just like his friend Steve Rogers, he was an enigma to curiosity seekers.   Fully human but enhanced by circumstances, the two of them would always stand apart from others; good or bad, right or wrong, Bucky didn’t know.  He just knew that he had to learn to accept it. 

He had spent that morning getting familiar with the neighborhood, finding a good sized park with a nice runner’s path, an actual town square complete with a large gazebo in the center and small shops and diners and even an ice cream parlor. He felt like he had been transported back in time, a time that he had been robbed of while under HYDRA control.  He had the feeling he was really going to like it here.  Later as he walked the yard around the house and garage, he found a fair sized vegetable garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and strawberries.  There were also a couple of well placed flower gardens that looked pretty dry, so he took it upon himself to drag the hose around and water everything.  After that, he had jotted down a grocery list and gone shopping.  Now, with everything put away he cracked open a beer, grabbed a bag of chips and planted himself in front of the television to watch a ballgame.  Yeah, he really was going to like it here.

 

Holly had finished her 4 hours at the insurance company where she worked to supplement her position with the orchestra and was now busy running a few errands of her own.  Her job there consisted mostly of filing, typing and sometimes manning the phone; it was pretty boring, but it paid well enough to get her by and now, with the apartment rental, she should have some breathing room.    Her parents had seen at a young age that she was going to be their ‘untraditional’ child.  She had always been interested in the arts, enjoying trips to the museum and art galleries, delighting in all things handmade, along with a love of nature and music.  Oh yes, the music!!  Holly had tried several instruments as a youngster, in the end torn between the piano and violin, the strings finally won out as she put her heart and soul into learning how to play.

It didn’t come easy for her. Many hours filled with tears of frustration had comprised her free time as she practiced over and over, never feeling like she was good enough. However, her parents believed that she was more than good enough, and found a way to send her to a private school that had a highly respected music department.  Holly had been unhappy at first, knowing that her grade school friends would not be going with her, but when Fall came and the new school year began, she took to it a like a fish to water, thriving amongst the other kids who understood her love for music.

Now, pulling into the driveway, she noticed right away the drops of water still glistening off flower petals and leaves and the darker colored ground beneath the vegetables in the garden. Unable to contain the smile that crossed her face, she glanced up to the apartment and saw Bucky looking out of the open window. She waved and hollered up “Thank you for watering!!”  He nodded and gave her the thumbs up, “You’re welcome!  I hope I get some of those tomatoes and berries!”  Holly giggled, “You just might!” then waved again and headed up the stairs to the house.   A hot blush rose up her neck as she could feel his eyes on her.  It made her slightly uncomfortable, but not in a bad way…

 

A couple of hours later, Bucky sat in the recliner reading one of the sci-fi books he had spotted on the book shelf, when suddenly, the soft strains of a violin filled the air.   It was such a sweet sound, he immediately moved to sit outside so he could hear it better. She was good, very, very good. Even though his time as the Winter Soldier had often been dehumanizing, there had been periods when he had been treated almost well… like a favored pet, by one of the higher ranking members of HYDRA.  During those times, he was occasionally allowed to attend various functions, acting as a personal guard of General Karpov.  He wouldn’t say that he was any kind of expert on the topic, but he had attended several symphony performances and in his mind, Holly could very well play among the best of them. 

The music stopped for a moment and he remembered the tray and thermos that she had brought over that morning. Now seemed like an opportune time to return it to her.  He went inside, put on a clean shirt (he wasn’t even sure why) ran his fingers through his hair and grabbed the items he was returning.  As he reached her side of the driveway, she started playing again, but instead of going back, he climbed the steps to her porch then watched her through the screen door.   When she felt his eyes on her, she looked up and motioned for him to come on in.  She finished the piece she was playing and Bucky had to refrain from clapping like a love-sick school boy. 

“That… was absolutely beautiful.”

“Thank you Bucky. I hope I didn’t disturb you.”

“Not at all! I really enjoyed it. I… brought these back.  Thanks again for breakfast.”

“Oh... You’re welcome.”

She looked a little flustered, and he knew she was thinking about what had happened that morning.

“Holly, may I ask you a question?” he didn’t wait for her to respond, “When you dropped by this morning, did my… arm bother you? I mean, it freaks a lot of people out, so I would completely understand.  I just, I really hope that it didn’t.”

_Smooth. So smooth_.  Holly knew what he was doing, and she appreciated it more than she could say. Deciding that making light of it all was the best course of action; she gave him an exaggerated look of confusion, “Arm? No… uh, I mean, I really didn’t even notice your **arm**.”

Bucky smiled, managing to even look slightly embarrassed, “Great!! So… we’re good then?”

“Yes… we’re good.” She nodded, and changed the subject, asking him if he played any instruments.

He shook his head, “Not really. I tried to teach myself guitar… that didn’t go very well… fingers and all,” he wiggled the fingers on his two very different hands.  “I thought a harmonica might be easier, but no, that didn’t work out either.  Sometimes I tap on the table top and call it drumming.  Does that count?”

Holly giggled her face lighting up as he demonstrated on the end table next to him. “Well, ya know what?  You’ve got rhythm and that certainly counts!”

Bucky laughed and asked, “Would you mind playing some more? Please?”

“Of course! Make yourself comfortable… would you like something to drink?”

“No thank you. I’m fine.” He sat on the couch, propping his right leg on his left knee; while Holly’s mind was filled with memories of just how ‘fine’ he actually was.

As she picked up her violin, Bucky noticed a subtle change come over her; her face became a picture of serene, calm self assurance as she flipped through some sheets of paper resting on her music stand, deciding on the piece she would play. She looked over at him as he watched her closely and smiled softly at him.  With one slow deep breath, she positioned the chin rest, lifted the bow and began playing "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley, hoping he would recognize it.

It seemed to Bucky that he could feel the music as it rose from the pages and flowed through the instrument in her hand, filling the air with such melodic sounds he was totally captivated. He watched her fingers as they directed the tone and texture of the notes and the bow as it seemed to float across the strings, drawing out the magic they held there.  At one point, Holly closed her eyes as she continued to play from memory and when she opened them again, he smiled brightly at her and she couldn’t help but return a huge grin. When she finished playing, she gave him a questioning look.  All he could do was shake his head in wonderment, opening his mouth to say something, and then closing it again at a loss for words.

Finally, Holly broke the silence by saying, “Not your thing, huh?”

“What??! No!  I mean yes!! Holly, you play beautifully!  I just can't think of a word big enough to express it.... that was amazing.   Thank you for sharing that with me," he looked at her with such admiration she smiled brightly back at him.

Holly knew she played well; she had worked most of her life to become not just good, but a truly talented player. Even so, she still found herself flinching from complements and had to stop herself from pointing out the mistakes she had made or the spots where she felt she needed to improve.

Bucky seemed so sincere, she simply nodded saying, “You are very welcome. Maybe someday we can do a drum/string duet?”

He laughed and stood to go, “In that case, I guess I better go start practicing now! Thanks again for … everything.” He hesitated for a moment, clearly not wanting to leave but not wanting to give the impression that he thought they were ‘friends’…  not yet. “I’ll let you get back to what you need to do.  Good night Holly.”

Holly walked him to the door, “Good night Bucky, and thank you for stopping by. I’m sure I’ll see you around tomorrow?” she wasn’t quite able to hide the hope in her voice.

Fighting back a satisfied smirk he nodded, “Yeah, you probably will.” It seemed she didn’t mind his company after all...

Closing the door behind him, she locked it and then gathered up her papers and tucked them in a folder before putting her violin in its case and moving it and the stand to the spare room she used as an office. She went through her usual nighttime routine downstairs, latching the lower windows and doors, ignoring the alarm system, setting the attic fan on timer to go off in the early hours of the morning and then made her way upstairs to change clothes and crawl into bed to watch a little television before lights out.  As she passed the window that faced the garage, she couldn’t help but walk over to it and look out.  There was no sign of Bucky sitting on his landing and for just a moment, she was disappointed. Shaking her head, she climbed into bed, found a movie to watch and set the sleep timer.  She was asleep less than half way through the movie. 

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

Bucky woke the following morning to the sound of a car starting and the door being closed. It sounded nearby so, since he had to pee anyway, he got up and peeked out the window. It was Holly, leaving early on a Sunday morning, so he guessed maybe she was going to church? After he was finished in the bathroom, he thought about getting dressed, but groaned and crawled back into bed instead.  Lying on his back, he wondered what her story was.  He guessed her age to be upper twenties; no more than very early thirties.  From what he had seen in her house, she was not really into ‘stuff’.  Her furniture was nice, but not fancy.  She had hardwood floors and solid wood accessories that looked older and well cared for.  With all the warm earthy colors; the plants in the window seats and scattered about, the aroma of the large scented candles;  the rooms that he had been able to see last night had a very comfortable and inviting feel about them.

And Holly? Shit… She looked inviting as well; with her longish blonde hair and hazel eyes that were full of life.  She dressed comfortably but everything fit well and enhanced her naturally enticing figure. Her smile was genuine and her laughter was contagious.  _And why oh why was he **doing** this?_  He didn’t really know anything about her!  She could have a boyfriend or even a husband away on a business trip or something; neither of which was likely to appreciate Bucky’s acute interest in her… he needed to stop thinking about her every other ‘effing second!

Throwing the covers back, he got out of bed, dressing in yesterday’s jeans and clean shirt. Deciding that now was as good a time as any, he ate a quick breakfast then went outside and down to the garage to see what he might find there.  He punched in the code Holly had given him and flipped the handle which unlocked the door.  He raised it up and smiled as he took in the neatly stacked tote boxes and orderly shelves along the back wall.  There were indeed several pieces of furniture that he looked over, deciding to take and old fold down writing desk and an end table up to his apartment. 

Once he got them upstairs, he found a rag and went to work dusting them… even the cleanest garage is going to have dust and a few bug remains. When he pulled open one of the small drawers in the writing desk, he was surprised when he found an envelope scrunched up and stuffed in the back of it. Smoothing it out, he saw that it was to Holly from a man named Greg… obviously the letter had been long forgotten and he should probably throw it away, but his curiosity was getting the best of him.  Running his thumb along the top of the envelope, he saw the two sides part slightly. He licked his lips and sighed with resignation as he opened the top and pulled the paper out.   


_“Holly,_

_This is a difficult letter to write, but one that is necessary because I don’t have the courage to face you in person. There is no easy way to tell you this, so I’ll just say it… It’s over between us.”_

Shit. Bucky wasn’t expecting this…He should probably stop reading right there. But of course he didn’t.

_“I know this will likely come as a surprise to you and that in itself is a part of the problem.  We both have very busy lives and our own desires for the future.  We don’t look at the world the same way.  We don’t look at each other the way we should._

_I can see now that no matter how hard we try to make this work, it is never going to happen; our needs will never be the same.  I am not willing to give up on my dreams, and I respect you too much to ask that you give up yours.”_

Yeah right. I bet you didn’t respect her too much to slam her against the wall and… Bucky was getting angrier by the minute; at a man he had never met, over a situation he knew nothing about.  He kept reading…

_“It’s no one’s fault. It just IS what it is.  I have enjoyed our time together… you are a beautiful, bright, talented woman and you will flourish on your own._

_Take care of yourself,_

_Greg”_

 

“Mother fucker,” Bucky mumbled under his breath.  What kind of asshole would write such a cold letter?  Okay, so it wasn’t going to work out between them.  He could have had the balls to tell her in person!!  And he never once said he was sorry about the break up.  “Dick head,” he grumbled as he stuffed the letter back into the envelope.  It wasn’t stamped but otherwise it looked like it had been ready to put in the mail.  Apparently, it had just been left for her to find.  Maybe even on the very same writing desk where he had found it.  Maybe that’s why the desk was in the garage and not being used? He had no way of knowing how old it was, and he couldn’t imagine why she would want to keep such a memento, but he still had second thoughts about just throwing it away.  Finally, he took it over to the book shelf, opened one of the thicker volumes, placed the letter inside, and then returned the book to its place.

 

A little later he went outside and walked about half way down the stairs, where he sat to enjoy a smoke. It was a nice day and lots of kids were out playing; he couldn’t see them, but he heard their voices and shrill laughter coming from a few blocks away. He closed his eyes and for a moment, he could almost picture himself and Steve as young boys, enjoying an early summer afternoon. They had been the best of friends then and remained so today, even if Bucky did need some time away from the life that his pal had chosen.  In essence he had been a soldier for over 70 years, most of it a nightmare that he wanted to put behind him.  And thankfully, he knew that Steve would still be his friend, no matter what path he chose.

His reverie was broken by a car radio blasting music and Holly singing along quite loudly. As she pulled into the driveway, she turned the sound down and smiled brightly.  Once she was out of the car she waved at him (even though he was only a few yards away… how stinking cute was that?) and spoke cheerfully,

“Hi Bucky! How are you?  Isn’t it a gorgeous day??” 

She had her arms full of books and papers and a couple of bags so as he replied, he stood and walked to meet her in the driveway.

“Hi yourself! I’m doing pretty well so far.  And yes, it is a very nice day.  Can I help you with that?” he pointed to the precarious load of items she was holding. 

“Oh, no thanks, I’ve got it!” she smiled again and as she started up the stairs, one of the books slid out from under her arm, followed by a cascade of papers.

Bucky was at her feet in an instant, stooping down to pick up the mess. Holly stood there, looking helpless and tried to think of something clever to say; however, words escaped her as she watched him at work, neatly arranging the pages as he put them in a pile. She could see the muscles in his back ripple beneath his thin shirt as he moved and his flesh arm screamed for her notice it; while his metal arm emitted a warm glow. As he stood, their eyes locked and she nearly dropped a couple of more books. A hot flush rose to her cheeks but Bucky pretended not to notice.

“Here let’s get you, and all of this inside what do you say?” he took the keys from her hand and easily opened the door while holding on to her belongings.

Holly stepped inside and Bucky followed at a respectful distance. He suddenly had the strongest urge to take her in his arms, and whisper sweet nothings in her ear, confess how much he wanted her.  Where were these feelings coming from?  Maybe that letter had him feeling overly protective of her?  Or could it be, he just really liked her… a lot?

Pointing to the kitchen counter, they both deposited their items there as she said, “Thank you Bucky… I guess I didn’t exactly ‘have it’ after all!”

He chuckled, “No problem. Anything else I can do for you?”

She tried desperately to think of some task to offer him, but came up nearly blank… “No… I’m good, but I was wondering…I’m having just a few friends over later for burgers and dogs on the grill. You are more than welcome if you would like to come on over and join us.  I would love to have you … I mean, if you don’t have other plans.  I totally understand if you do.”

Bucky was actually surprised at the invitation. He wanted to believe it was offered because she was interested in him… but knew it was more likely that she was just being neighborly.

“That’s very nice of you, but I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

She studied his face for a moment, wondering if she was being too forward. She didn’t think so.  And honestly, at that moment, she didn't care if she was.

“You wouldn’t be intruding. I’m inviting you.  Please say you’ll come; at least stop by for a few minutes… if you want to.”

She threw it back in his court, clearly wanting the choice to be his. Putting on his therapist hat, he reasoned that could be a result of being blindsided by the ex-boyfriend.  Bucky nodded, “Thanks for the invite.  I’ll try to make it.”

Holly watched him as he walked away, his long legs, and those massive thighs; the image of his naked body still fresh in her mind. With a groan, she turned to the kitchen to make sure she had everything she needed for this impromptu BBQ that she had thought up at the spur of the moment. She hoped she could find a couple of friends to come over last minute, or Bucky would figure out she really just wanted to spend time with him.

 

Almost three hours and half a dozen phone calls later, the grill was lit and the delicious aroma of sizzling burgers and hotdogs filled air. Holly had somehow managed to pull it together and everyone was there; everyone except the one person she wanted to be there the most.  

Bucky looked out the window where he could see a few cars he didn’t recognize and a small circle of lawn chairs in Holly’s yard. There were several coolers and a table covered with what he assumed was side dishes; napkins, plastic utensils and desserts all set up nearby the grill. A group of 4 women (including Holly), 3 men and 3 kids were gathered around, laughing and apparently having a pretty good time.    Dropping the curtain, he once more considered whether or not he should join in.  It wasn’t that he didn’t want to; he would be more than happy to spend the afternoon/evening (okay let’s be honest NIGHT) with Holly.  And it wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy the occasional picnic.  Well technically, it had been many, many years since he had been to a picnic… 

The tapping was so soft, he almost didn’t hear it. Pulling the door open, he was surprised and slightly amused to find an adorable little girl with pig tails and holding a stuffed bear smiling up at him. He looked down to the yard and saw Holly and one of the other women, watching closely.  He pushed the screen open and stooped down to be eye level with his visitor.

“Hello there little one… what can I do for you?”

“Mr. Bucky, my name is Amy and Miss Holly sent me to remind you that you are invited to our picnic!”

“Did she now? I guess maybe I better get myself over there then, what do you think?” 

With the innocence of a child, Amy reached up taking his metal hand in hers and gave him a tug,

“Come on!! If my brother gets to the hot dogs first there won’t be any left!”

Rising to his feet, Bucky’s eyes latched onto Holly as he tilted his head and smiled broadly. “All right, let me go wash my hands and I’ll be right there.  You save me a seat, ok?”

With a giggle and a flurry of ribbons, Amy headed down the stairs, her short legs going as quickly as she could manage. Bucky stepped back into his apartment, taking a deep sigh.  _OK, you can do this man. These are just regular people, doing regular things.  No big deal._ He pushed his hair back behind his ears, knowing it wouldn’t stay, grabbed the plate of cupcakes he had bought at the market bakery shop… not knowing they would come in handy that very afternoon… and set off to join the others.

Holly saw him coming down the stairs and excused herself to meet him at the driveway. Giving him a sheepish grin she said softly, “Thank you for coming… you didn’t need to bring anything!”

Bucky chuckled softly giving her a devilish look, “You know, I was going to come… you didn’t have to send out the big guns to get me here.” At that moment Amy ran over to him, threw her arms around his leg and said “c’mon! I saved you a place!”

A pretty brunette woman joined them, rolling her eyes, “Amy Clark! Where are your manners?  Let the poor man meet everybody and grab something to drink before you claim him as your own!”

Bucky smiled at the woman as she introduced herself, “Hi. I’m Jean Clark, this is my husband Tim, our son Josh and you have obviously met Amy.”

He shook hands with everyone as they introduced themselves one by one; Holly took his cupcakes and sat them on the table of food and a guy named Chad brought him a can of ice cold beer. The other man, Eric, returned to the grill declaring it wouldn’t be long for the burgers. The kids were sent to the water faucet on the side of the house to wash their hands and before long the plates were passed out and the meat was set on the table.

“Tim, would you bless the food please?” Holly smiled as she took one of Bucky’s hands and Amy took the other one. He watched through narrowed eyes as everyone bowed their heads and listened quietly as Tim gave thanks for the food, family and friends old and new.  Holly squeezed his hand and they all said “Amen” as the laughter and silliness began again.

He wasn’t exactly sure what he had been expecting, but it wasn’t this. They all treated him like he belonged there.  How long had it been since he experienced that level of acceptance?  Of course the kids were the ones to ask the obvious questions about his arm while the adults talked about sports and movies and a tiny bit of politics that Holly shut down quickly.  Apparently there was some dissension in even this small group, and she was not going to put up with it from either side. 

Bucky learned that Eric and Jean were both members of the symphony and they got together with Holly fairly often to practice. The other women worked with Holly at the insurance company and the smallest child belonged to one of them. Cassie asked if they were ready for the upcoming season of concerts and all three musicians looked knowingly at each other.  

Jean nearly choked on her drink, “Hell no!! They keep changing the theme and pieces they want us to perform.  What good is our practice when they won’t give us a firm program to learn?”

“Now Jean,” Eric tried to soothe the woman, “we are all professionals and can handle a change now and then. You my dear will do just fine!” The brunette blushed and seemed to be placated for the moment.

After the main meal, Holly went inside and brought out a gallon of ice cream to serve with Bucky’s cup cakes. That was a big hit, and afterwards, they rearranged the chairs to form a large horse shoe shape, so everyone could see everyone else, but the kids now had a wide opening to the rest of the yard so they could run back and forth as need be. While Chad was telling a rather unbelievable fish story Bucky put his arm behind Holly on the back of her chair.  As the others talked, he noticed a man dressed in dark clothes walking down the opposite side of street.  He wore a large billed baseball cap, so virtually none of his face was visible, but Bucky was pretty sure it was the same guy he had spotted hiding under the tree the day before. As he studied the man, trying to access some memory that might give him a name, he moved his arm so that his hand was touching Holly’s arm.  Without thinking or even being aware of it, he began softly moving his thumb back and forth over her bare skin. 

Once the initial surprise wore off, Holly turned her head in his direction and could see that he was in deep thought about something apparently totally unrelated to her. She slowly turned her head and looked down at his hand and noticed that his movement had not escaped her friend Laura who gave her a look of approval and a tiny “thumbs up”.  Holly just bit her lip and looked away not at all sure what to think.  After a few more seconds, Bucky turned to look at her, his eyes so deep and inviting she shivered slightly.  Suddenly, he realized what he was doing and he removed his arm, “Sorry,” he whispered as he reached for his drink.  She smiled at him, wishing that he hadn’t moved his arm.  She had rather enjoyed his touch.

Just then the toddler, Rose, came over to Holly, lifting her arms up for some attention. She held the little girl on her lap, gently rocking her back and forth, when the child reached out to touch Bucky and he held his hand up for her to grab on to.  Rose giggled as he wiggled his fingers, pretending he couldn’t get away from her.  Holly could not take her eyes off them, and when Bucky looked directly at her, she felt a longing so strong she nearly gasped. 

After a couple of hours, the group began to gather up trash and sort out any leftovers amongst themselves. The children were loaded into the cars, but not before Amy gave Bucky a fiercely possessive goodbye hug and soon, the only ones left with Holly were Eric and Bucky.  Not for the first time Bucky wondered if Eric might have feelings for Holly.  He had watched them together and really couldn't gauge any kind of reaction from her.  Maybe the 'feelings' were one sided?  The two men folded up the lawn chairs and folding tables and took them to the small storage shed on the other side of the yard, while Holly carried several dishes inside. Looking out the kitchen window, she watched the two of them as they appeared to be having a serious discussion.

“So…you and Holly, huh?” Eric got straight to the point.

“What? Uh… No, no. We’ve only just met…” Bucky was back peddling, even though he knew the man was right on target.

“And yet, you can’t take your eyes off of her. I understand... Are you seriously going to tell me you that aren’t hoping she is just as interested in you?” Eric wasn’t finished and Bucky held his tongue, not sure what the man really wanted to hear. “She's a good person with a big heart and no filters. She doesn’t do anything half way.” 

"Oh..." Bucky started to speak, but Eric continued.

 “What I’m saying is, please don’t lead her on.  And don’t break her heart. I’ve been around to help pick up those pieces before and I don’t want her to go through that again. Okay?”

With a serious look Bucky nodded his head and reached out to shake Eric’s hand, "Look man... I can't promise you that. I wish I could.  But I CAN and DO promise that I will do my very best to never do anything to hurt her.

Eric nodded, satisfied that was really the most he could ask of the man and thumped Bucky on the back just as Holly rejoined them with a curious look.

“Miss Holly, a lovely little get-together as always. I think you and Bucky can handle anything else that needs to be done here, so I’m going to head out.  I will see you on Wednesday for our usual workout, eh?”

Giving the man a hug, Holly grinned as she nodded, “Yep, I’ll see you then. Thanks for coming!” 

Eric waved as he drove off and Holly stared after him for a moment, and then turned to Bucky, “Did I miss something?”

 “Nope.  Not a thing,” Bucky smiled and looking around, he asked hopefully, “Can I help with anything else?”

“Well… I don’t think so. It looks like everything is back in place!”

“Right…” he rubbed his hands together nervously, “Hey listen, thanks again for inviting me. I had a good time.  You have really nice friends.”

Holly smiled, “Yeah, they are nice. And you fit right in… such a hit with the kids!”  Bucky snorted and Holly insisted, “It’s true!  You were really good with them.  Sorry I sort of used Amy to get you over here.”

“That’s okay. It felt nice to be wanted…welcomed.”

The sun was beginning to set and a cool breeze swept over them, making Holly shiver, “You **are** welcome here Bucky.  I want you to know that.”

There were so many ways he could have responded to that, but he minded his own words, remembering they had really only known each other a couple of days. “May I walk you to your door?”

She giggled and nodded and as they climbed the stairs, he rested his hand protectively on the small of her back. As they reached the top they both felt the tension building between them.  Holly cleared her throat, “Thank you Bucky… um, I guess we’re here...”

Bucky’s eyes were gleaming in the twilight. Placing his hands on both of her arms, he leaned in slowly and kissed her softly on the cheek. “Good night Holly,” As he pulled back, their eyes met and she managed a weak smile and half a nod, even as her heart was thumping wildly in her chest.   He turned to go and when he reached the bottom of the stairs she called out, “Bucky…” 

He looked up at her, desire clear in his eyes.

“... good night,” she finished, her voice almost a whisper.

Smiling at her, he nodded, just as she had done to him. Good lord he wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss her until they were both gasping for air!  Instead, he turned and walked across the drive to his apartment, not looking back.


	4. Chapter 4

Several weeks passed as Holly and Bucky fell into an easy routine.   In the mornings during the week they would greet each other in the driveway as they prepared to head off to work.  In the evenings Bucky would sit outside and listen to her practice, sometimes on her own, sometimes Jean or Eric would join her.  Now and then she would come outside and cross the yard to sit with him on the stairs.  They would talk about their day or the weather, maybe about something that had been on the news; for the most part, keeping the conversations to a light, friendly banter.  On occasion, he would grab some kind of treat on his way home from work and he would knock on her door; asking if she would help him out with it. However, there was an unspoken agreement that kept them from expressing their ever increasing attraction for one another.   


_Bucky had taken a job down at the warehouse district. He had learned long ago that, with his strength and stamina places like that were always quick to hire him.  It was good money and something to keep him busy, so everybody won.   His first day there, Bucky arrived about 20 minutes early, partly to make a good impression and mostly by habit to scope the place out.  He knew how important it was to know every exit available from any building…things happened all the time and people died because they got turned around and couldn’t find a way out._

_After completing several forms, a quick tour with the supervisor and the mandatory safety regulations manual being issued to him to keep and maintain (there were updates on a regular basis) he was introduced to a handful of other men and put to work. He was quickly accepted into the group and even though he didn’t talk much they all appreciated how hard he worked and how much he accomplished.  So far, so good_

On this day when he arrived home, Holly’s car wasn’t there and he found himself wondering where she might be. He climbed the stairs and as he was pulling the key from his pocket, he got that feeling of being watched again. “Okay,” he spoke under his breath, “this is getting old.”  Once inside, he went straight to the window where he peered out from behind the curtain, but nothing looked out of the ordinary.  Stripping his clothes off as he approached the bathroom, he came up with a game plan. 

After a quick shower, Bucky left his apartment again, climbing on his bike and driving off at a leisurely pace. He drove a couple of blocks over then turned down an alleyway and parked it in a small lot.  Walking swiftly, he made his way back to his street, careful to stay in the shadows and out of sight as much as possible.  Across the street and a few houses down, he leaned on a light pole and watched as the lanky snoop from before was actually attempting to open Holly’s garage door.  The man was trying to look like he belonged there, but anyone who saw him would know that he didn’t. He was so wrapped up in trying to open the door that he didn’t even notice Bucky walking up behind him.  Would never have known he was there if he hadn’t felt the cool metal hand wrap around the back of his neck, pulling him back from the door and pushing him down on the stairs that led to the apartment. 

Leaning in close, his piercing blue eyes staring a hole through the intruder he spoke softly, “Who the hell are you and why are you spying on me?”

“I, I…I’m Glen… and I’m not spying on you!!”

“What do you call it then?” Bucky was in no mood for games.

“I’m not, not spying on YOU.” Wrong answer.

_FUCK! He had never even considered that Holly was the one this guy was watching_ … Grabbing a fistful of Glen’s shirt, Bucky partially lifted him from the step he had landed on and growling in the man’s face he asked “Then you are either doing a piss poor job of casing the place to rob it, or you are spying on Holly. Which is it, and WHY?”

The murderous look in his eyes left no room for hesitation or lies.

“I… a man.  I don’t know his name. He offered me a lot of money to watch her… her comings and goings and who she hangs out with.  I was never supposed to do more than watch, until today.  He called and told me to see what was in the garage.  I didn’t want to mister, I swear!  But he threatened to make my life miserable if I didn't help him out."

“Bullshit.” Bucky was not buying it. “WHAT does he want to know about her?  What were you supposed to look for in the garage? He must have told you something.” He didn’t want to hurt this guy.  He was obviously not a real threat to anyone and didn’t know much, but Bucky was beginning to lose his patience.

“I don’t know why he is interested in **her**.  I don’t!  But the guy is looking for something and he thinks she may have it.   It's uh, uh, a special box with a really old instrument inside…  He didn’t tell me anything about it or what makes it so special. I swear.”

Bucky’s mind was whirling as he tried to make some sense of what was going on. There were just too many pieces missing.

“Okay. You go back to this guy who offered you a lot of money and tell him you can’t do this anymore.  You tell him that the Winter Soldier is living in the apartment above the garage and that he spotted you once and you are too afraid to come back here.  And then you walk away; whether he pays you anything or not.  You walk away, while you are still able.  Are we clear?”

Glen nodded. Bucky squeezed his shoulder, hard and hissed out “Are. We. Clear?”

“Yes. Yes sir, we are clear.”

Releasing his hold on the man, Bucky nodded at him saying “Good. Now go.”  And with that Glen took off, running pretty damn fast for a guy who had been shaking like a leaf just moments before. Satisfied the man had been convinced and was truly gone, Bucky crossed the street and headed back to the lot where he had left his bike.  As he walked along, he wondered just what this nameless man was after.  He couldn’t imagine Holly being involved in anything illegal or in any way dishonest, but it sounded like she might actually be in danger if the missing ‘box’ held something of value.  So, what should he tell her?  Or did he tell her anything at all?  If he knew a little more of the details he could make some kind of decision.  As it stood, he figured he would just make it a point to keep an eye on her himself.  Like that was ever in question…

 

A couple of more weeks passed and the orchestra had finally been given their schedule and fully completed program. After careful consideration and practicing what she would say, Holly had left her office early one afternoon and gone to pay a visit to the director of the orchestra.  They discussed her desire to be nominated to play with any one of the more established philharmonics as a guest or substitute, if only for one show.  She just wanted to feel what it was like to play one of the big halls.  He assured her that he had put her name out there with high recommendations.  She had to be patient.  The list of musicians requesting the same opportunity was long and loaded with talent.  He all but guaranteed her that she would get her chance, eventually.

Afterwards she did a little window shopping, stopping in front of one of the larger cosmetic specialty stores. Staring in the window, all the soft creamy colors and pretty packaging were so inviting.  Going inside she was immediately set upon by a sales clerk, offering her a free makeover if she made a purchase of $50 or more.  Normally she would have laughed, thanked the woman and walked away.  But she had just gotten paid a couple of days earlier and the rent from the apartment was really giving her some breathing room, so she felt like she could afford to splurge, just this once. She selected the items she already knew wanted and was soon seated in the chair with a team of makeup artists applying all kinds of creams and powders and color to her face. After nearly 25 minutes, (the pair had argued for several minutes about which mix of eye shadows would look best) they spun the chair around and smiled happily at the results of their labor. 

Holly didn’t recognize herself. Fully aware that they had applied a variety of products, she had felt almost certain that she was going to look like a clown by the time they were finished.  To her surprise, she LOOKED absolutely natural, only better.  Much better.  They happily showed her all of the items they had used on her and she asked the salesgirl to ring up a couple of them for her to take home, knowing she would never be able to duplicate the result with just those few things, but unable to pass them up.  Taking one last look in the mirror, her one thought was of Bucky, wondering if he would like the way she looked…

Holly made a few more quick stops, throwing together several pieces to make a really cute outfit and then noticing the time, she decided she better head back to her car and make her way home. When she parked in the driveway and stepped out of the car, Bucky came around the corner of her house.  He had been watering; it was a hot day and he had removed his shirt, sweat now trickling down his chest.  She collected her bags from the passenger seat took a deep calming breath and closed the door.

“Hello there Mr. Barnes! Thank you so much for doing that.” she noticed the smirk playing around the corners of his mouth and waited for a snappy reply.

“For doing what, Miss Baxter?” he asked in the most innocent voice he could muster, and then continued, “taking my shirt off so I can blind you with my shiny arm?”

Snorting, she approached her house, and him. His eyes grew larger as he took in her ‘new look’ and he actually fumbled for words.  “You… you look different.  Uh… good, you look good. Beautiful.”  He spoke that last word in an almost breathless voice and Holly felt her knees growing weak at his nearness.  Thank goodness she had seen his bare chest before or she may have whimpered out loud at the sight of him. Instead she simply responded with, “Thank you,” and a soft smile, adding, “I just felt like trying something different.  I’ll be back to the same old me tomorrow!”

“That’s good. I mean, you look amazing, today or tomorrow or next week or… you always do.  You are a beautiful woman.” As he spoke he moved ever closer, his eyes reflecting his appreciation.  Holly blushed profusely, thanking him again and trying step around him. He tilted his head in that charming little way of his and rolled his eyes heavenward before continuing, “I’m sorry.  I don’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.  But I meant what I said, even if I didn’t say it very eloquently.”

She didn’t know how to respond, or if she even could. She was trying very hard not to allow him to see how he affected her.  Her breath was shallow and her knees were so week she thought she just might faint.  But it wasn’t air her body craved; it was him, James “Bucky” Barnes. Certainly the most notorious man she had ever met.  The most dangerous.  The most perfect.  

_When Greg had unceremoniously dumped her eight months earlier, it had really hurt her, more than even she had realized at first. She had avoided getting into any kind of relationship since then; convincing herself that she didn’t need that torment in her life. And she had done quite well on her own, other than fighting brief bouts of loneliness. Then suddenly, enter Bucky Barnes, who somehow managed to destroy her self-imposed solitude with one look and now saw fit to fill her mind with thoughts of him nearly every minute of the day…_

Her traitorous eyes had, of their own volition traveled down from his eyes, past his lips and chin, and come to rest on his broad chest. Of course he noticed; how could he not?

“Holly? Are you still with me?” his voice was strained as he held back his laughter.

A look of comical horror crossed her face as she realized she had been caught in the act.

“Oh God!! I… I…” raising one hand to cover her face, she shook her head, then made the mind blown motion as she proclaimed, “Brain fart!!”

Bucky laughed out loud at the expression, but thought he got the gist of it perfectly.

Giggling and still trying to worm her way out of the conversation, she said, “I think maybe I should get out of the sun for a while…” She started to move past him again and he stopped her once more.

“Before you go… I was wondering, um... well, I’m making spaghetti for dinner and I always make way too much. Would you like to join me?”

 “Yes,” the word was out of her mouth before it had even formed as a thought in her brain. “I would like that.”

“Great! I’ll finish up out here; clean myself up a bit and start the water boiling!”

“Sounds good. I’ll be over in a little bit to help.” _Who was this alien controlling her mouth?_

“Alright, it’s a date then.”

“So it is. I'll see you there!” She smiled shyly and took her leave.   _So it is? Make it so… Live long and prosper… ??? Maybe she really HAD been in the sun too long!_  


Once inside she dropped her recent purchases on the couch and sank into the recliner next to it. What had she just done??  She… she couldn’t be alone with him!  Not now.  Not after the way she had....  Taking a couple of deep breaths, she calmed herself down, checked her mail and then went upstairs to change into the most unassuming girl-next-girl outfit she could find.   She couldn’t bring herself to wash the “new look” from her face, not yet.  She dabbed on some of her favorite perfume and ran a brush through her hair, giving Bucky time to get inside and clean up.

As she was about to leave, she realized that she was going empty-handed. Bucky had managed to wrangle up something to bring to her BBQ, so… she looked around and remembered the bottle of wine that had been given to her as a gift from the symphony director a few weeks prior.  She usually didn’t drink alcohol of any kind… shrugging her shoulders, she grabbed the bottle on her way out. 

 

Approaching his side of the driveway, Holly caught a whiff of the spicy aroma of seasoned sauce as it simmered on the stove. Tapping lightly on the screen door, she peered inside, waiting for him to answer.  No way in hell she was going to just walk in… nope, not this time!!

He peeked around the corner and smiled warmly, “Come on in! You are just in time to chop up some onion for the salad, if you don’t mind?”

“I don’t mind at all.”   She handed him the bottle of wine, earning her a bawdy wink, and he handed her the knife and onion, before putting the already cold bottle in the freezer for a good chill and then turned back to several thick slices of bread that he was busy covering with a mixture of butter and garlic powder before popping them in the oven. 

As they worked he asked in a suspiciously sweet voice, “So, did you have any trouble finding the place? I don’t know much about brain farts and any residual affects they may have.”

Holly’s eyes grew large with surprise before the laughter hit her. Bucky looked over his shoulder at her, again with that innocent expression he wore so well, and then smiled broadly.

Composing herself Holly replied, “No... No trouble at all. You know, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.”

Bucky bit his lip as he finished with the bread, putting it in the oven and turning to stir the spaghetti. Holly was tossing the salad together and asked him “Do you want anything else to go in this?”

He handed her a bag of chopped walnuts and asked, “How about a few of these?” before squinting at her playfully he asked, “Nuts?”

She took the bag from him and poured some of the contents into her hand before sprinkling them over the bowl and gently mixing them in. Bucky grabbed a couple of plates and salad bowls from the cupboard and Holly pulled open the silverware drawer and grabbed a set for both of them.  His ‘dining’ table was very small, so rather than fill it with serving dishes, they filled their plates from the pots on the stove and sat down to share their first meal alone together.

Before they started, Bucky asked her, “Do… do you want to pray?”

It was technically HIS home so she asked, “Would it make you uncomfortable?”

He shook his head, “No.” He reached out and took her hand and Holly smirked inwardly before she began,  “Dear Lord, in a world where so many are hungry, may we eat this food with humble hearts; in a world where so many are lonely, may we share this friendship with joyful hearts. We thank you Lord for this bounty and give you all the glory and praise.  Amen."

Bucky repeated "amen" after her and she giggled.

He looked at her mock horror and she said in loud whisper, “I know you just wanted to hold my hand!!”

With a bark of laughter he had the decency to look a little guilty before he shook his head and said, “Let me see if that wine is cold enough to drink…”

Once he had poured them each a generous serving, he lifted his glass to offer a toast, “To new beginnings, new friends and… blind squirrels”

It was Holly's turn to laugh as she touched her glass to his, the tiny little ‘ping’ sound ringing in her ears and filling her heart with a sense of peace she hadn’t felt in quite some time. It was nice.  It was very, very nice to spend time with someone so different from everything and everyone else she knew.

They took their time with that meal, discussing books, movies, music (Bucky had a lot to say on that topic) the phenomena of the internet and social media.  They finished the wine that Nicole had brought and Bucky opened another that he had bought just for an occasion such as this.  Is wasn't as fine and expensive as the one that had been given to Nicole, but by that time, they really didn't mind.  They shared a few war stories (of the dating variety) and Bucky proved himself to be funny, well-read, quite charming and a total flirt.  Holly wondered, not for the first time, why he didn’t have a girlfriend and thought maybe it was a defense mechanism.  It must be really difficult for him to trust people after all he had been through.

Bucky was thinking of the letter he had found and took special notice that Holly had not mentioned anyone named Greg in the stories she shared. Feeling a little guilty, he considered telling her what he had found, but she seemed so happy at the moment and he was pretty sure that memory would destroy her good mood.  They finished the 2nd bottle of wine and Bucky offered to run out and grab another bottle, but Holly assured him that she’d had enough for one night.

After nearly 3 hours sitting at the kitchen table, Holly excused herself to use the restroom. When she came out, Bucky was standing by the couch and asked her if she wanted to move to the living room.

“Actually, I think it’s probably time for me to head back over to the house. I still have a few things to do before I call it a night.”

“Oh – yeah. Of course.  I wasn’t thinking about that.  I sort of lost track of time!” Bucky admitted with a grin.

Holly smiled brightly at him, “This was nice. Thank you for having me over.”

“Thank YOU for the company,” his voice lowered as he stood very near her now. “Maybe we can do this again?”

She nodded, her breath coming in short little spurts “Yes… I would like that.”     _Oh God!! He was so handsome and adorable and sexy and … she really needed to get out of there…_

As she reached for the door, he beat her to it, pulling it open, “I’ll walk you home.”

“What?! No… Bucky, that’s not necessary.”

He was adamant, “I’m walking you home.”

Holly sighed, knowing she couldn't win this argument. “Okay. Lead the way.”  


As they stepped outside Bucky paused to look up at the night sky, inhaling deeply, “Smells like rain, but the sky is full of stars… it must have sprinkled when we weren’t looking!” The expression on his face was almost childlike in his delight and when he turned to look at Holly, her heart melted while her body ached with such an intense hunger she almost groaned.  Bucky started down the stairs, but she didn’t follow.  As he reached the third step down, she spoke his name softly, “Bucky, wait...”

He grinned at her as he returned to stand in front of her, “What? Did you forget something?”

Holly shook her head as her pulse roared in her ears. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. Bucky saw that she was searching for words.

“What is it?”

"I was just... It's fine really... I just," she looked down, unsure of herself now.

… she had NEVER asked to spend the night with a man; it had always been his idea, or at least a mutual understanding...

"I was thinking that you and I have grown really ... I mean I was wondering if we ... if,"  with a frustrated sigh, she changed her tune, shaking her head.  "Nothing... it's nothing.  I should go."

She started to move around him but Bucky shook his head, gently grasping her arm. He couldn't let her go, not this time.

"Wait... wait, please. Is it okay if I take a shot in the dark here?  But if I'm wrong, we just pretend I never said anything, alright?"

Curious, Holly studied the gleam in his eyes and gave him a slight nod of her head.

Taking a deep breath, Bucky began, "I think that some jerk hurt you, really bad. And because of that, you put up this wall to protect yourself. This wall that you and I have been peeking over and around since the first day we met.  And that's okay, I don't blame you.  I understand.  But I'm thinking, maybe  now that you know me better you understand that I'm not that guy and I wouldn't ... I would never hurt you.  Now here's where it gets tricky.  I'm also thinking that, when you say you need to go home; what you really mean is ..." he stopped talking for a moment to move even closer, gently running his fingers along across her cheek, his hand coming to rest deep in her hair,  "What you really **need** is this."

 Was there such a thing as love at first kiss?  If it wasn’t a thing before, it was now.  Bucky’s kiss was like nothing Holly had ever experienced… his lips were full and warm and sweet, yet strong and deliberate, just like she had imagined a thousand times that they would be.  There was no hesitation; no doubt…he kissed her softly at first, his tongue just barely swiping across her lips before slipping into her mouth and finding hers.  The pressure of his lips grew as he covered every inch of her mouth and she couldn’t stop the moan of approval that rose in her throat.  He kissed her again and again, sweetly, deeply, eagerly.  He eased off a little, then once again gently pressed his lips to her now slightly bruised ones, before pulling away completely. 

"Am I right? Please tell me I'm right..." he spoke softly, hopefully.

Holly considered denying it, but knew that the truth must be obvious by now. She gazed into his eyes and answered shyly, "I... yes...yes, you're right."

"Yeah?" Bucky sounded relieved. "In that case, would you want to come back inside for... a while?" He opened the door and with no hesitation Holly stepped back into the apartment, terrified of the depth of her feelings, but in the best way possible.

Bucky closed the door behind them, then turned to take her keys and phone from her hand, laying them on the coffee table. He kissed her again, so tenderly she nearly purred in surrender, then in one smooth move she snaked her arms firmly around his neck and jumped up to wrap her legs around his waist.

Grunting in surprise, Bucky searched her face as he asked “Holly, are you sure? I **_want_** this, but I don’t want you to have any doubts…”

Her eyes gleaming, she scraped her teeth over her bottom lip, while shushing him with a fingertip to his mouth, “I want this, more than anything,” she whispered.

He groaned softly saying, “Oh... thank God,”; Holly giggled as Bucky carried her to his bedroom.

 

She had expected Bucky to be eager, maybe even over-eager and possibly a little rough. She was acutely aware of his metal arm and maybe a bit anxious, although she thought she hid that pretty well. What she **_didn’t_** expect was his unsullied tenderness, his feather light touch that brought goose bumps to her skin while igniting a fire inside of her; his gentle exploration of her body; his lingering kisses; his lips leaving a fiery trail of desire everywhere they touched.  He took his time and as she quivered with anticipation he took her completely, leaving no doubt how much he wanted her, and when she responded in kind, it was all and more than either of them had imagined it would be. 

As they lay together, bodies entwined under the twisted sheets, Bucky took Holly's hand and caressed her fingers. After a moment he asked "What's it like to create music with the touch of your fingers? I mean, when you play the violin, it's like time stands still just to listen."

With a soft gasp, she replied ,"Bucky, that's the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me! Thank you!" she was truly touched by his compliment.

He nodded and smiled, "You know, I get just a little jealous of Eric because he gets to create and share something with you that I know I never can."   Holly sat up and looked at him with curious surprise. 

"What?" she questioned him quietly.

"I'm serious, when I listen to the two of you play, it's perfect and moving and to some extent, even a sensual experience."

"Bucky, you have absolutely no reason to be jealous. In case you didn't notice , I think that you have some fairly magical fingers of your own," Holly giggled and couldn't stop the hot blush that rose to her cheeks. "I think we made some pretty sweet music just now, and that's something just between us....me and you."

Bucky growled in response as he pulled her back down to the bed.

 After a lengthy; and as Holly would think later “mind blowing” repeat performance, she lay exhausted, snuggled in his arms, head resting just above his heart. As she listened to the rhythmic thumping, a peace came over her that brought unexpected tears to her eyes.  Embarrassed, she sat up and rushed to the bathroom; what she forgot or maybe didn’t even know… was that Bucky had extremely sensitive hearing.  When she had herself under control, she flushed the toilet and with the water running she blew her nose and gently washed her face, hoping to hide any trace of tears.  It didn’t work.

“Holly … Why were you crying?” He spoke so gently her tears threatened again.   She had reached the bed and climbed in.  “Tell me, please,” he needed reassurance that he hadn’t hurt her somehow.

“Bucky, I’m sorry! It’s nothing that you did… or maybe it’s everything you did… I don’t know really.  I feel like my heart is bursting it's so full…” she sniffled and he could tell that she was truly overwhelmed with emotion.

He took her hand and pulled her close again. Running his finger down the side of her face, across her jaw he stopped at her chin, looking into her eyes, “It’s okay. I understand.” his voice was husky as he nodded.  Wrapping her in his arms, he whispered, “I know little kitten, I know. Sleep now.”   In just moments she did as he suggested, her eyes growing too heavy to fight the sleep that washed over her.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

The following morning, Bucky was up at 7:30, mixing up the batter for banana pancakes; one of his favorite breakfast meals and hopefully one that Holly would enjoy as well. The smell of fresh coffee brewing filled the air, rousing his sleeping guest; who found her way to the bathroom for a quick shower. When she entered the kitchen; dressed in her jeans and his white button down shirt that had been hung over the foot of the bed; there was a stack of hotcakes waiting on a plate in the middle of the table and a pot of simmering water on the stove with the syrup sitting in it warming up.

“Good morning beautiful,” he looked over his shoulder at her, a broad grin crossing his face. She walked up to him; hair dripping wet and leaned in, “Good morning Mr. Barnes.” She kissed him softly on the lips, then asked, “Where’s your tea?”

Bucky flipped another pancake over, then reached in one of the upper cabinets and grabbed the box of breakfast tea, “There’s still a little cream in the fridge and the sugar is… right here.”

“Thank you,” Holly smiled at him, looking more beautiful than he had ever seen her. He wanted to take credit for that, but figured it was likely she looked beautiful every morning. He hoped he would be the one to find out.   In just moments they sat down to eat, Holly praising his pancakes and eating her fair share as they laughed and teased and enjoyed each other’s company.  Bucky cleared his throat and asked her what she had planned for the day. 

“ummm… I have some errands to run this morning; a little laundry to do; I should probably do some dusting… maybe clean out my closet… paint the kitchen…” she was teasing, at least about the closet and the painting, and he knew it.

Bucky was staring at her, thoughtfully chewing his last bite of food, a twinkle in his eyes. “That sounds really… exciting.” 

Holly laughed out loud, “I know right? You gotta be quick to keep up with me.”

Giving her an evil grin he nodded, “Yeah, I know that’s right.”

She blushed and asked him, “So, what do YOU have going on today?”

He stood and carried their plates to the sink; rinsed the sticky syrup off, then placed them in the dishwasher along with their silverware and cups. “Well, I was thinking that I would really like to take a leisurely walk in the park; explore the neighborhood a bit.  Only, I was **hoping** I would have someone to walk with me…”

Standing and pushing her chair in, Holly asked, “I see, did you have anyone in mind… to walk with I mean?”

Bucky put his arms around her pulling her to his chest, and then kissed her deeply before saying, “Yeah, I have someone in mind.” She feathered her fingers through his hair, tilting her head up for another kiss. 

“Okay, I think I can clear my afternoon schedule… but I really better get moving on those errands.” She found her keys and phone on the table where Bucky had left them the night before and scurried out the door before he could grab her. At the bottom of the stairs she looked up at him, “Thank you for breakfast.  It was wonderful.”

“Any time little kitten, any time.” he touched his hand to his forehead as if tipping a hat in farewell, and she smiled brightly then crossed the driveway to go inside her own house.

 

+++

A few miles away, in a well appointed library in his employer’s home, Greg was pacing the floor and wishing he was anywhere else. Their ill-conceived plan had born them no fruit and the old man was near to blowing a gasket in frustration.

_When they had first spoken of Holly Baxter and her love of music and how beautifully she played the violin, it was if the air had been sucked out of the room.  The old man had grabbed him by the arm and nearly wrenched it from the socket when he heard her name. After several deep breaths he had asked, “Do you know her lineage?  Has she ever spoken of a distant relative named Jaxson Baxter?  Has she shown you the Stradivarius?”_

_Greg managed to pull his arm free and huffed out “No… To all of your questions, no. And dear God in Heaven, what makes you think she would have access to a Stradivarius? She barely ekes out a living.  There is no way she owns something that rare and valuable.”_

_“We have to be sure,” the elder man spoke in a gravelly voice._

From that moment Greg had done his part, playing the role of a smitten suitor to Holly (which was no sacrifice to be sure) and acting as her boyfriend for months before convincing his boss that the girl didn’t know anything about the missing instrument. Now, after all this time just when he had begun to believe the whole thing was dead and done, the old man decided Greg had been too involved with the girl to really be of any use, so he had decided to send the inept spy, “Glen” to gather information. And now, NOW the infamous Winter Soldier was living in the garage apartment.  What a fiasco this whole thing had become!!

However, Randolph Woodworth was no quitter. He had come across some information that seemed to confirm that down through the years the instrument that by rights should be his, had been passed on to the Baxter family.  Holly was the only living relative that had not yet been investigated and he must leave no stone unturned.

"If you are so sure she has it, why don't you just ask her?" Seemed like a logical question, one that Greg wished he had asked months ago. 

"Her grandfather and I were not on good terms. Not at all.  If he spoke of me at all, I'm sure it was not favorable and I'm just as sure that she would never dream of turning it over to me.  We just need to find it ourselves... somehow, someway."

+++

 

Holly and Bucky were walking hand in hand along a path through the park. They had been laughing about something when they first encountered Stephen Strange. He was a tall, slender man and Holly would argue that he was quite attractive in a mysterious kind of way.  He was walking toward them when his eyes locked on hers and she felt compelled to stop and speak with him. As he introduced himself and Holly shook his hand, Bucky felt helpless to intervene.  The air felt odd, as if they were in some peculiar kind of vacuum; the sounds around them were muffled and seemed far away. When Strange leaned close to her and whispered in her ear he tried to stop the man, but felt as if he was moving through molasses.  Holly smiled at the stranger and nodded in agreement with something he had said.  He turned to Bucky then, and said “Keep an eye on her,” before he swirled his cape and walked away.

As soon as the man was gone, everything went back to normal and Bucky asked, “What the hell was THAT?”

“What do you mean?”

“What did he say to you?”

Holly looked down the path as if she was hoping to see the man again and then smiled softly, “Oh… he just commented on the lovely day and told me I should follow my heart. Pretty sound advice if you ask me.”

Bucky, his mind racing as he recalled his run-in with “Glen” and the mysterious “man with lots of money”, wondered if he should tell her about the incident. She chose that moment to take his hand again and looked up at him with so much love in her eyes he nearly fell apart.  He smiled as he wrapped her in his arms and hugged her so close for so long that she mumbled into his chest… “Bucky, are you okay?”

Loosening his hold on her, he kissed her forehead, assured her he was fine and suggested that they head back. He knew that Eric and Jean were coming over a little later so they could rehearse together and he wanted to grab some take-out so he and Holly could have a quick dinner beforehand. 

 

+++

In the darkest corner of the garage there was a disturbance of some kind; the air grew thin as a small cloud of dust rose and swirled around and around for just a moment, then hung in the air before dropping back to rest just as it had been before. Everything sat neatly in its place; including the box that had been tucked in amongst all the other boxes, as if it held nothing special. 

Sitting in his library, the Dr. felt the disturbance and sighed deeply. He hoped that the girl would not be hurt because of a needless feud between two silly old men.   It really had nothing to do with him.  He would let it play out and try to be of service if he could.

+++

 

The rehearsal had gone beautifully well and Bucky, who joined them about half way through; was truly impressed with each of their talents. When Holly and Jean disappeared into the kitchen, Eric gave Bucky a smug look and a knowing wink, to which Bucky could only reply with a look that said, “I couldn’t help it if I wanted to” and a goofy grin.

In the kitchen, Jean lowered her voice before saying, “Oh my goodness… that Bucky is such a handsome man!”

Holly nodded in agreement, “Yes… yes he certainly is.”

Jean couldn’t help herself, “Is he that perfect **all over**?”

After a brief pause, Holly smirked and whispered, “YES! All over!!” The two women broke out into loud giggles and hadn’t stopped as they returned to the living room, all smiles.

“What are you ladies up to? Holly, you look like the cat that ate the canary…” Eric had no idea his words would set them off into even more laughter, or that they would bring such a lovely shade of pink to Holly’s cheeks.  She took a peek at Bucky who had tilted his head slightly and was looking at her mischievously; as if he had heard her discussion with Jean… she suddenly wondered if he actually had!

Once the women had regained their composure and passed around a light snack, Eric spoke up, changing the subject.

“So Bucky, will you be joining us next Friday night as we kick off our concert season?”

Bucky looked at Holly and smiled softly, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."


	6. Chapter 6

In the wee hours of the morning, Bucky suddenly jerked awake.   He held his breath for a moment as he took in the unfamiliar surroundings, trying to pinpoint where he was and what had awakened him.  He exhaled slowly as he smiled into the darkness the memory clearing in his mind.  Holly.  He was in Holly's bed, his arm curled around her body, holding her close.  They had been laughing and flirting after Eric and Jean had left, moving the chairs back in place from where they had set them up for practice the night before.  Bucky was making a big show of preparing to leave when Holly had grabbed his arm and asked him sweetly if he HAD to go.  Of course, he didn't.

He lay quietly, still unsure what had roused him from his slumber... there! That sound...  What the hell?  He eased himself free from Holly, left the bed and stepped to the window which had been left open.  He parted the lacy curtains and pushed one to the side as he looked through the screen and across the yard and drive to the garage.  His jaw clenched when he saw that the door had been raised enough for someone to slip under and get inside.  He suspected he already knew who was behind it, although he doubted it would be Glen this time.  Reaching for his jeans, his anger grew, as did his worry for Holly.  Whatever this guy was looking for must be really important for him to send another thug to try and find it.  He slipped on his shoes not taking time to lace them up, and left Holly sleeping as he descended the stairs, silently making his way to the front door and stepping outside. 

Years of stealthy, late night encounters made approaching the garage quietly, even across the gravel drive an easy task. He stayed to one side and when he arrived at the door, he stooped down peeking around the corner to have a look inside.  Only one man was visible.  He was noticeably bigger than his predecessor Glen had been, and he seemed much more determined to find whatever he was searching for.  Bucky guessed that the man had correctly assumed that the apartment that had been dark all evening was unoccupied for the night  and that Holly would not hear him rummaging about in the garage.   With his back to the entrance, deeply involved in his search, the man did not notice when Bucky rolled under the door and rose to stand in the corner watching him. 

Unfortunately, one of the boxes that had been shifted in the search was precariously perched on the edge of another and when the man bumped softly against the pile, it fell to the floor. There was nothing breakable inside, but his sudden intake of breath and the way he jumped as he turned to investigate prompted Bucky to quickly approach and grab the man by his throat.  The intruder fought back and during the struggle managed to pull a small caliber weapon from the back of his pants.

"Fuck!" Bucky didn't want to make this encounter turn into something much worse than it needed to be, but the fact the this guy had brought a gun, meant he would probably have had no qualms about pointing it a Holly.   With that thought, a red haze of anger filled his head and surprising the intruder, he reached out with his left hand, using it to deflect one shot from the gun before grabbing the man's wrist and snapping it in one smooth move.  The burglar's yelp of pain filled the night air just moments before Bucky slammed his fist into his gut, making it impossible for the man to breath. Before he could hit the man again, Holly stood at the front of the garage screaming "Bucky, no!!"

He loosened his grip on the man but did not let go, holding him by his collar as he tried to catch his breath. "Holly it's okay.  This guy was snooping around in here looking for God knows what.  He pulled a gun on me, it could have been you.  So I stopped him.  Just call the police and we'll have him hauled off."

When Holly didn't move and instead kept her focus on the other man, Bucky gave her a quizzical look, "Holly? Call the police. Okay?"

The next word out of her mouth shocked Bucky to his core.

"Greg?" she whispered almost harshly, the expression on her face one of total confusion. She took several steps towards them, weaving her way around boxes as Bucky shook his head. 

 _Greg? Greg the author of the breakup letter that he had found and read... the breakup letter that had crushed her spirit profoundly, but she still hung on to it rather than throwing it out?  Greg, the man she had loved before him... that a part of her might still love?_ Shit.  Bucky's head was spinning and for some reason he was feeling like the bad guy here!  What the fuck?  
  


"Dear God! What is going on here?" Holly moved even closer and Bucky tightened his grip on Greg who was finally able to suck in enough air to moan loudly over his aching wrist.  "Bucky, let go of him."

"Holly, this guy took a shot at me!" Bucky hated the slight whine he heard in his own voice.

"A **shot**?!  Are you hurt?" she finally looked at him, honest fear and concern in her eyes.

"Nn-no. I'm fine."

She sighed and touched his arm softly, "Please let him go now."

Bucky searched her eyes, his heart pounding in his chest, an ache forming there that he couldn't explain, that he didn't even want to think about. He nodded and released Greg with a slight shove so he fell into the boxes that he was so concerned about.  Childish?  Maybe, but it felt pretty damn good.

Holly shook her head at him, although she couldn't quite hide the smirk on her lips. "Greg, I **am** going to call the police, you can't go around shooting at people and not expect that much. But I need you to explain to me what this is all about, please?  What are you looking for out here?"

"... and who are you working for?" Bucky spoke up, realizing that he was going to have to tell Holly his part of the story too.

She gave him an odd look and Bucky added, "He's not the first. Another less crafty man tried to break in just a day or so after I moved in..."  Bucky continued on, telling her everything he knew about Glen and the unnamed man with lots of money and apparently some kind of power, who was behind the search for the missing box.

Greg, who was truly in a great deal of pain, was beginning to realize how much trouble he was actually in finally offered some information. "It's not about a box.  It's about what's in it."

"Really, Capt. Obvious?" Bucky had very little patience right about now and wouldn't think twice about breaking Greg's other wrist if he made any kind of move.

"What's in the box Greg? What is it that you couldn't just come to me ask about it?"

Greg rolled his eyes and nodded, "That's what I asked the old man, but he insisted that you would not give it up, even though he thinks it belongs to him."

"What belongs to him?" Holly asked in frustration.

"The Cipriani Potter Strad... He thinks you have it. And he's determined to get it back."

She stared opened mouthed at the man for about 10 seconds before bursting into robust laughter. "WHAT?  You can't be serious!!  How... how in the world would I have a Stradivarius, much less a Cipriani?"

"I know, I know. I asked him that too.  But he is convinced.  He has investigated every living soul in your family to no avail.  When I mentioned in passing that I was dating a Baxter who played violin, he nearly stroked out on me.   And he offered me a lot, a LOT of money and position to get close to you and find out if you have it."

Holly stared at him in disbelief, uttering a soft, "Oh."

The sadness in her voice was more than Bucky could bear... obviously the same thought had occurred to both of them at the same time. The only reason dear old Greg had dated her for all those months; had **lied** to her all those months, was to get information and hopefully the grand prize from her.

"What man? What's his name?" Bucky gave Greg a threatening look.  Realizing that his immediate threat from the Winter Soldier was more pressing than what Randolph Woodworth might do to him in the future, he gave them his name and address and anything else Bucky asked for.  Finally, finally, Holly called 9-1-1 and reported the break-in and that a gun had been fired and that the perpetrator's arm had been broken in a struggle.   In just minutes, the police and ambulance had arrived, and Greg was loaded up and taken to the hospital while Bucky answered a ton of questions. 

 

By the time the whole ordeal was over, it was time for him to get ready for work. Holly had already been asked to come in to the police station later that day to provide any additional information she might have about the incident.  Bucky wanted to go over and talk to her but figured she might need a little time to herself.  He would see her later that night...

Only Holly didn't get home until much later than usual. She had worked a full day at the insurance company, then gone to the police station, then met up with a couple of her friends to catch a movie they had all been talking about seeing.  When she pulled into the driveway at 9:25, Bucky was outside, sitting about halfway down the stairs, smoking a cigarette.  A tiny bit of guilt tugged at her conscience, but she pushed it aside as he left the stairs and walked over to her car. 

"Hi Bucky," she spoke as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Hi Bucky?" he asked with a frustrated frown, "Holly, are you okay? I called you a dozen times!"

"Yes of course!" she pulled her phone from her bag... she grimaced showing him that the sound was off, "I, uh... I just had a long day. I'm fine."

He stared at her, his expression unreadable... except for a tiny tic by his right eye. "Okay.  Do you feel like talking?"

"um.. you know what? I am really tired.  I think I'm going to have a hot shower, a peanut butter sandwich and go to bed early."

"You..." Bucky was growing more frustrated by the moment, "don't you...okay, fine. If you need anything, I'm here; you know that, right?"

"Of course... thank you Bucky. I just... need a good night's sleep."  She started to turn away and he grabbed her by the elbow.

"Holly? Are you sure you don't want to talk?"

"Positive," Holly stretched up and kissed him softly on the lips. "Good night Bucky."

"Good night." Bucky watched her walk away, that same fucking ache that had stirred in his heart the night before pressing in on him again.  


A little later as she was rinsing off her plate and washing out her glass, Holly looked out the window and spotted Bucky sitting at the top of the apartment stairs, long legs resting two steps down. His body was bent over, arms resting on his knees, his shoulders slumped, a picture of dejection.  She felt bad for blowing him off earlier, but the events of the night before had brought up some old pains and she just needed to be by herself.  If he really cared about her, he would understand that, right?  When she went upstairs to get ready for bed, she took one last peek out of her bedroom window.  Bucky was still there, smoking a cigarette, staring towards her house.  There were no lights on in her room, she had purposely left them off, but somehow, she felt certain that he could see her.  She stared back for a while and then watched as he crushed his cigarette out on the stair and dropped it in the now familiar coffee can.  He stood to go inside, but turned and looked in her direction once more before he opened the door.  Holly caught her breath and stifled a few tears before crawling into bed. 

 


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, Bucky was tinkering with something on his bike when Holly went out to leave for work. She opened the car door and put her purse and violin case inside, rolled down the window then closed the door and walked over to where he stood. 

"Good morning Bucky."

Bucky barely turned to look at her, "Good morning."

"Problems?" she asked, trying to sound like she didn't feel the tension between them.

Looking up and wiping his hands on a rag Bucky scrunched his nose, "It's nothing. Just needed to adjust the throttle a bit."

"Oh... well that's good. I'm glad everything is okay."

Bucky nodded at her, taking in her black pencil skirt and cream colored blouse. Her hair was pinned up and he could tell she had played with her makeup a little... not quite like the pros had done, but still, she looked so pretty he almost forgot how dismissive she had been the night before.

Straddling the bike, his back straight as an arrow, Bucky leaned his head back and sighed deeply. He wanted to talk, but knew that neither of them really had time.  "Well, I better take off.  You have a good day."

Holly nodded, "You too!" before quickly returning to her car. She pretended to be adjusting the radio and smoothing her hair, while Bucky's bike roared to life and he coasted to the end of the driveway where he put his helmet on.  Instead of pulling out into the 'non-existent' traffic on their side street, he stayed there and watched her in the mirror.  Why wasn't she following?  It didn't look like she was on her cell; in fact it looked like she was staring a hole through his head.  And then he saw her run her finger under her eyes, like she was brushing away tears.

"Shit" he was ready to turn around and go back to her, but she suddenly started the car and was rolling in his direction. "Damn it Holly," he whispered gruffly as he pulled out onto the street and headed to work, his stomach in knots again.

+++

 

After a light lunch, Holly found a bench outside the building where she worked and pulled out her phone to check for messages. There were reminders from Jean and Eric that they would see her tonight at Eric's place... The orchestra always did an afternoon performance on Thursday for children and any disabled adults who might be more comfortable attending the symphony then.  Today was Tuesday, and the three of them would practice together once more tonight, then the entire orchestra would have a short practice on Wednesday evening...

She started shaking as it dawned on her how important this all was. She hoped Bucky would understand.  And then she wondered if Bucky would even care.  She was so upset with herself for pushing him away when she knew he only wanted to help.  Then she had all but ignored him yesterday and now she would be tied up the rest of the week!  After taking a couple of deep calming breaths, she continued to check her messages, seeing all of the ones that Bucky had left the day before she couldn't bring herself to read those.  But there was another one from him dated that day, about an hour and a half earlier.  


_"Hey kiddo,_

_I'm sorry I can't seem to do or say anything right the past couple of days.  I know seeing Greg threw you for a loop and the whole break-in and this violin thing...  I don't understand it all but I've been feeling bad all day for acting out like a little kid, pouting because you had other things on your mind.  I hope you can understand it's because I love you so much._

_Well shit. I didn't think the first time I told you I loved you would be by text, but I'm leaving it here because I want you to know . I should have told you before... Do you think we can talk tonight?  I know you're busy and... I just really need to hold you, even if it's only for little while._

_Bucky"_  
  


This time Holly couldn't hold back the tears. She sat there on that bench, not caring who walked by, sobbing softly as she held the phone close to her heart.  When one of her co-workers spotted her, she came over and asked if she could help, surprised when Holly looked at her with a happy smile on her face. 

"No... I'm fine. Just having a moment.  Thanks Lynn."

Lynn patted her on the back and left her on her own to wipe her tears away. She only had a few minutes of lunch break left, but did her best to come up with a response.

_"Bucky_

_I love you too! And I am so sorry that I've made you feel anything less than how incredibly special you are!  I love you so much..._

_And now for the bad news. Practice tonight.  Practice tomorrow night. Afternoon performance on Thursday... and you know the rest!  We DO need to talk and we will, I promise.  Please understand and know how sorry I am that everything is happening the way it is..._

_Lunch break is nearly over and I have to get back inside. If you were here I would kiss you ten ways to Sunday... I love you!_

_Holly"_

As Bucky took a moment to read Holly's response, he couldn't hide the big grin that lit up his face.  He sighed deeply and felt about a thousand pounds lift from his chest. 

"Good news I take it?" one of his buddies asked as they worked to rearrange some boxes in the warehouse.

Bucky nodded at the man, "The best. The absolute best news ever."

The other man laughed and punched Bucky on the shoulder, "Must be about a woman. Only a woman can make a man smile like that!"

Bucky kept on grinning, "Yeah.  Not just any woman.  She's... she's THE woman."  He regretted those words the minute they were out of his mouth, no matter how true they were.  His co-workers saw fit to tease him mercilessly about it the rest of the day. 

+++  


When she arrived at Eric's the first thing that he and Jean wanted to discuss was the attempted burglary and how Greg was involved and what on earth was it all about???

"C'mon guys... I'm still so shook over the whole thing it boggles my mind. And I don't know how much I am really allowed to say since the police still have not found the illusive Mr. Woodworth and I don't want to blame Greg for anything that wasn't his doing.  It's just so crazy... so, so, crazy."  She wanted to tell them that he had been searching for the Cipriani Potter ... but she knew that they would probably never get around to practicing if they got started on that topic.

After a few more prodding questions, the pair gave up and sat down to get to work. Interestingly enough, Holly was totally on her game, focused and so into her music it was like nothing else mattered. Her solo string pieces with Eric on piano were so well executed that he applauded her when they finished; something he usually didn't do because he expected anyone that had reached their level to be an excellent player.   The duet she played with Jean was equally as beautiful and so full of emotion they both had tears in their eyes when they finished.  Eric was flawless, as usual. 

When they stopped to take a quick break, Jean asked her if she was okay, citing her flushed skin and wondering if she was coming down with something.

"No... Jean, I'm fine really. I've just got so much stuff rattling around in my head, I hardly know what to make of it all."

"It must have been horrific to find that Greg had shot at Bucky! I just can't imagine..."

"It was totally surreal, I felt like I was in some alternate universe or something! Honestly though, it has nothing to do with that..."

"Well then, what has you so flustered?" Jean was never one to let something drop.

Grinning like a school girl, Holly leaned closer to her friend, "He told me he loves me.... well, technically, he texted that he loved me, but it was ... it was magical!!"

When Jean gave her a less than impressed, and somewhat skeptical look Holly assured her, "Oh!! Jean, it was perfect!.  We had a ... uh... misunderstanding the night before and I know he was pissed at me.  And I deserved it... I could have apologized this morning, but I didn't.  Yet HE felt so bad about it all that he texted an apology and added that he loved me... it was so sweet... it...  oh, never mind!!"  Holly giggled and Jean hugged her and Eric demanded to know what was going on.  When Jean blurted it out, his reaction was not what either woman expected.

"It's about damn time!" He looked at them and asked, "What?  You didn't KNOW?"  shaking his head in disbelief.  The women shrugged at each other, having learned long ago that nothing escaped Eric's notice, nothing!!

They rehearsed another hour and wrapped it up for the night. Eric walked the ladies out to their cars to send them on their way, saving a final word for Holly.

"Hey, I'm really glad that you and the big are finally on the same page. He has been crazy about you since he moved in.  I hope you don't let this thing with Greg come between you.  Bucky is clearly 100 times the man Greg was... and you deserve that." 

Holly hugged him tightly and started to ask what he and Bucky had been discussing that day of the picnic, then decided she didn't need to know. Besides, she was in a hurry to get home.

**For his part, Greg was now free and out on bond, hoping against hope that he wouldn't end up back in jail.  Randolph Woodworth managed to make a hasty exit from town and had sent one of the several high priced lawyers at his disposal to take care of "the mess" as he called it.  In his mind, he had done no wrong and could not be held accountable for what the simpleminded men who worked for him did. Greg didn't think that Holly harbored any feelings for him, but he planned to plead with her to speak on his behalf if the lawyers couldn't settle out of court.  He had a feeling if it was left up to Bucky, he would never see the light of day again!**  


When Holly got home that evening, Bucky was sitting on her porch swing, waiting patiently. He looked up at her and smiled as he patted the spot next to him.  She placed her violin case against the door and sat next him, neither one of them speaking.  It seemed oddly quiet, the air was still and even the noisy night bugs had already settled down and were silent. They swung gently back and forth for a few minutes before Bucky put his arm on the back of the swing his hand resting lightly on her shoulder.  Holly placed her hand on Bucky's thigh, smiling up at him before closing her eyes and resting her head against him.

After a while, Bucky broke the silence, "How did it go tonight?"

Holly looked up at him, her eyes shining, "Good. It was really, really good. Eric's piano is much grander than mine... he just kills it when we rehearse at his place!"

Bucky smiled at her, "I think YOU kill it, no matter what, no matter where... "  He cupped the side of her face and leaned down to kiss her, unable to resist another minute.  When their lips finally parted he tried to apologize again for his previous actions, but Holly shook her head and stopped him.

"Bucky, it was a strange situation for both of us and I don't blame you for being confused... I was confused too. I'm so glad it's all over and everything is okay now, right?"

Pausing for a moment, Bucky fought his natural reaction to disagree; to remind her that Woodworth was still missing and that her beloved Greg was a free man, "It's over for now.  You know you'll have to go to trial at some point, right?"

"No... I mean, I'm not pressing any charges. I already spoke with the detective.  He wasn't happy with me and I guess, you aren't either?"  Holly felt a sharp jab in her chest.  She didn't want to ruin this moment, this special quiet time with Bucky. 

Bucky's body had stiffened up quite a bit, but he managed to control his breathing and keep his voice even. He loved this woman, but he did NOT understand her!

"Holly, the man shot at me... you don't expect me to just let that go do you?"

"No," her voice was barely above a whisper. "No, Bucky... I can't ask you to do that.  I know what he did was horrible and I'm so sorry that you were in any kind of danger because of me.."

"HOLLY! It could have BEEN you!  Don't you understand that?  If you had walked in on him and he shot you,  or at you... "

"But he didn't Bucky! He didn't.  And when he told the police that the gun firing was accidental, I believe him.  I don't think--"

"Fuck that! You never, ever have a loaded gun in your hand if you aren't prepared to use it.  Everyone knows that!"

Holly was shaking. She wanted so desperately for Bucky to understand that she was on his side, but that she knew Greg never meant to hurt anyone.  She just didn't know how to make him see that.

"Bucky, please, please don't be angry with me. I, I'm only trying to... " she couldn't finish her sentence as tears started spilling out and down her face.

Putting his hands on her shoulders Bucky spoke softly, "Holly, I'm not angry with you. I just don't get it.  Why are you defending him?  It feels like ...  Holly, do you... are you still in love with him?"

He could see from the squint of her eyes that he had just ratted himself out.

"What makes you think I was ever in love with him? I think I would remember telling you that."

Leaning back in the swing, he nodded, "Yeah... I found the letter he left for you in the writing desk when I took it up to the apartment. It was shoved to the back of a drawer and I know it wasn't... I shouldn't have read it.  I'm sorry."

"Is that why you are so set on punishing him?"

It was a fair question, one that had been pestering Bucky for a couple of days now. He thought it probably did have a little to do with his unyielding desire to have this guy locked up. After all, he had done some pretty awful things in his days as the Winter Soldier and Holly had given him a total pass on that.  No one, except Greg himself had actually been hurt, and maybe he was being truthful when he said he fired the gun accidentally.  He didn't seem like the type that would be familiar with weapons.

"I guess that might have something to do with it. I did let the first guy go with a warning, but then again, he didn't shoot at me."

"Bucky, I love you. I would never ask you to do something that goes completely against your nature, so, if you need to press charges, you have every right to.  And I won't hold it against you, I promise.  I just want it to be over.  I don't want him to have any say in my daily life. I don't want to give him another thought."

He smiled softly at her, "Say that again."

With a confused look Holly asked, "What? I don't want to give him another thought?"

"No... I stopped listening after the first sentence. Say **that** again."

Smiling she searched his eyes, pushed a long strand of hair behind his ear and spoke the words he wanted to hear, " _Bucky, I love you_."

He pulled her onto his lap, his eyes shining, "I love you too." After a tender kiss he nodded, "Ok... I'll call the lawyer tomorrow and ask him to drop the charges."  He didn't think that would get Greg completely off the hook, but suddenly getting revenge didn't seem so important to him.  Besides, Holly was kissing his neck and he had better things to think about.


	8. Chapter 8

 

Friday arrived and because she had taken the day off, Bucky stopped over at the house before he left for work. Holly was up, looking very much like a calm and serene professional, regardless of the adorable baby doll pajamas she wore with her hair pulled up in a messy pony tail.  She was sipping on a cup of hot tea and he could smell the bread toasting.

"Hi baby... I know I won't see you again until the show tonight so I wanted to stop in to wish you good luck and give you this. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her so sweetly, so deeply, so completely it took her breath away.  "I know you don't need luck because you are **that** good, but I didn't want to say 'break a leg'.  That always sounds so wrong to me!"

Holly giggled. "Thank you Bucky.  I would rather have one of your kisses than a thousand good luck wishes from anyone else."

He was wearing a dorky smile on his face as she put her cup on the table. "I can't wait to see you guys play tonight.  I've only heard bits and pieces of your performances and I know you are going to be so amazing...  you, you aren't nervous are you?  I mean my being there isn't going to distract you, is it?"

Holly snorted, "I don't know, are you going to take your shirt off?"

"I'll take everything off if you want me to. Anything for the cause."

Laughing, she took his hand in hers, "I'll appreciate seeing you in the crowd. You always make me feel special and safe.  I don't see how your being in there near the front row of the music hall will be any different.  Are you going to be able to get there early?  I would love to show you off..."

"I'm not sure about that. But I **will** be there as soon as I can be.  Speaking of work, I better get out of here before you lose control and pull me over to that couch and ravish me... or something."

Holly shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, something like that! Now go!  And have a good day!" he kissed her on the forehead and waved as he headed out the door.

 

After Bucky left, she nibbled on her toast and finished the tea. She'd had the dress she would be wearing picked out for months, and she had a hair & makeup appointment at 2:00.  Looking around the house, she wondered what she should do to keep herself calm for the rest of the morning.  She carried her empty cup to the sink and looking out the window, her eyes were drawn to the garage.  The garage that had been of such interest to a man she had never met. Considering everything that had happened, she couldn't help but wonder if there really was anything of interest tucked away inside.  There had been those boxes that took up a small corner in the very back...boxes that she had avoided searching when she first moved in because she just didn't have the heart to go throw her dead relatives belongings at the time. 

Making her decision, she darted up the stairs to her bedroom and found some comfy jeans and an old t-shirt to change into and then grabbed a pair of garden gloves on her way out the kitchen door, just in case. As the door rose she got the oddest feeling of deja vu' and a small chill ran down the back of her neck.  Going straight to the corner she had to smile as she noticed the boxes that had been knocked sideways when Bucky had pushed Greg into them.  Quickly sorting through the totes and boxes that she recognized were hers and setting them to the side, she came to the ones she was looking for.  She opened the first two and found one was filled with pictures, which she quickly set aside.  She knew from experience just how much time could be lost going through old photos.  She didn't want to fall into that trap at the moment.  The next box held several knick-knacks wrapped in newspapers, which she also set to the side.  The third box was heavier and she thought it was big enough to hold a violin case.

Ripping the tape off of it and lifting the flaps of the box, she was immediately disappointed when she found several vinyl albums along with a couple of dozen old magazines. Shaking her head, she began to scold herself for even considering the Strad would be among these old mementos.  Just then, a shadow fell across the stack of boxes, making her gasp out loud a she turned to see who or what had made it.

"Oh dear! Please forgive me... I didn't mean to startle you!" the tall, lean man spoke softly, and when she recognized him, she smiled brightly.

"Hello! Excuse my jumpiness, I've got a few things on my mind and didn't hear you coming up the drive."  It was him; the man that she and Bucky had run into at the park that day.  She didn't remember his name, or if he had even shared it with her.  But she did recall thinking he was quite charming and seemed very nice.

"How can I help you this morning?" she asked, then noticed he was staring at one of the boxes she had yet to open.

"Actually, it's what I can do for you." he smiled again and although she didn't understand, she believed him.

Over the next 15 minutes, Stephen Strange told her a story that was so odd, it had to be true. It began many years before and would end, it seemed, when she gave him what he had come to ask for.  He explained how he had been party to a game of chance many, many years earlier; a game he should never have been involved in.  All of this had taken place in 'a possible past' as he phrased it, trying to explain without going into too much detail.  Apparently, neither of the men involved in the final wager were leaving anything to chance; both of them cheating until finally one man managed to capture the infamous  Cipriani Stradivarius as payment for his winning hand.  For years, the other man had sworn that the violin had been 'stolen' from him; beginning a family feud that had lasted for years, eventually resulting in the unfortunate events that had taken place in Holly's garage. 

If all of that wasn't enough, Dr. Strange admitted that he could have stopped it all from happening, but believing that the whole thing was insignificant in the big picture and somewhat ashamed that he had used his power of time travel in such a trivial pursuit, he had let it go, believing it would work itself out. Now, he had come to retrieve the instrument; return it to the past and prevent that poker game from ending the way it had. 

Holly didn't know much, well, anything about time travel, but he was very good at explaining the basics and making her feel like she was grasping a little of it. She remembered reading a little about Dr. Strange in a magazine article... he was an associate of Tony Stark, who of course was an acquaintance of Bucky's.  And of course she did watch a lot of science fiction shows...  "Wait!!  Wait!  You can't do that... I mean, if the violin doesn't end up here, does that change everything that happened since Bucky arrived?  I understand that you want to make things 'right', but I really don't want your actions to change anything that has happened between Bucky and me.  I mean,  if Greg was still in the picture... Won't it change **my** history?"  That is what mattered most to her.  She didn't really care about losing Greg.  Since Bucky had come into the picture, none of that mattered and what she needed to know was if she and Bucky would still be together.  Steven Strange was wise enough to figure that out for himself.

"Holly, think about it. Do you honestly believe that you and Bucky would not end up together?  Even if you and Greg were still dating the night that Sgt. Barnes turned up to rent the apartment, don't you think the same attraction that has brought you and he together would still be there?  Really?"

Holly couldn't imagine NOT being with Bucky, and the Dr. spoke with such calm assurance, she smiled and shook her head. Of course she would be with Bucky now.

And then it dawned on her, "But I don't **have** the violin!  At least I don't think I do. Do I?  And wait!!  You... you could have taken the violin if you wanted, without me ever knowing... "

As she spoke, the man pointed to the corner of the garage where a box she had never even noticed before peeked out at her. Grabbing the container, Steven held it close for a moment, as if he was listening to sounds coming from it. 

"I could have. But I thought that, of all people involved in this mess, you might appreciate and certainly deserve having a look at it.  Would you like to?"

"Yes! Very much!  If that won't mess things up even more than they are..."

"No. Once I return it, your memories of anyone or anything to do with the violin will disappear.  You won't even remember seeing it..."  as he spoke he opened the box and pulled out an old violin case.  As he flipped the locks on the case, Holly could feel butterflies taking flight in her stomach.  He lifted the lid and she gasped.  Until that very second she hadn't really believed any of this was real. There it wa, one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen; the polished wood and intricate carvings as clean and perfect as a brand new Strad would have been. 

Holding the case out to her, he nodded and she gingerly touched the violin, pulling it free and running her hands over the carvings and smooth back and blinking in surprise when Steven handed her the bow as well. Biting her lips nervously, she settled the violin on shoulder, her chin fitting in the rest like it belonged there. Sighing deeply she fingered the strings and stroked them with the bow, amazed that the instrument was in perfect tune!  She played for several minutes and even the good Doctor was surprised at her ability, wondering if this very violin would end up in her hands again someday.  It certainly seemed to fit perfectly.

A little later, with the instrument tucked safely back in its box, Holly thanked him for allowing her to play and for being willing to take the violin back to its rightful owner. She didn't even ask who that was, understanding that she wouldn't remember even if he told her.  She gave him a hug and wished him a safe journey.  As she walked up the steps to her back door, she turned and looked at the garage briefly, unable to recall why she had even stepped outside in the first place.  Another brain fart... she'd been having a lot of those lately!

 

When Bucky got home from work, he was already running late. There had been a couple of guys out sick that day and the boss had asked him to cover and stay a few minutes over if necessary to get the day's work completed.  Arriving at his apartment, he walked through the door and immediately began stripping his clothes off as he headed for the shower.  Afterwards, he wrapped a towel around his waist and took the time to shave as closely as he dared, wanting to look like he belonged at a symphony concert.  He dried his hair, using the blow dryer that Holly had left in the bathroom; combing it back and away from his face.  When it was mostly dry, he pulled it back and tied it with a short dark ribbon that he had picked up at the dime store a few weeks earlier.

Tossing the wet towel into a basket, he applied deodorant and cologne, then dressed in all new underwear, a crisp white shirt and a sharp black suit that looked very much like a tuxedo, only cut a bit looser with no cummerbund or suspenders. Staring into the mirror, he barely recognized the image looking back at him.  He thought Holly would be pleased, and that was what mattered to him.  He had arranged to have a car pick him up by 6:15 and was relieved when it showed up at 6:00 on the dot.  He had no idea how bad the traffic might be for a special event on a Friday night!

When they arrived downtown near the Music Hall, traffic was indeed quite heavy. His driver asked him if he wanted to wait in the car for a while, or just walk the last couple of blocks to the arena. Seeing that many well dressed people were already walking towards the building, he decided to join them, hoping it might calm his nerves a little.  He paid the driver and joined the others headed to the symphony.  Along the way, he couldn't help but notice the many appreciative glances he received from the groups of females he passed, making him a little self-conscious and wondering if he had worn the wrong thing.

Inside, he handed the ticket that Holly had given him to the attendant, who guided him past many other patrons all the way to the front of the auditorium. She hadn't been kidding; Bucky was sitting third row, center with a perfect view of every inch of the stage.  An older woman seated next to him kept trying to engage him in conversation and he listened politely, offering his opinion when he thought it was valid and simply smiled and nodded when he really had no idea what she was talking about.  When the stage lights flickered several times; signaling that show was about to begin, Bucky could not have been more thankful.   People around him began to settle down and the loud chatter softened to a low drone until finally the room was cloaked in complete darkness and all was silent.  

 


	9. Chapter 9

 

A spotlight from above came to life, slowly, slowly brightening as the familiar strains of a tune that he had heard Holly and Eric play a half dozen times began, with only the two of them hi-lighted slightly right of center stage. His heart raced as the music filled the air, crisp, clean, heart-breaking in its purity.  He'd had no idea that the two of them would be the opening show and he was so moved by their performance, he felt tears began to well up in his eyes.  If they had sounded good in Holly's living room, they were exceptional in the acoustic surroundings of the music hall!

And Holly... God she was so beautiful! She wore a stunning, blood-red velvet dress that comfortably hugged her curves and ended about mid-calf; her blond hair much like an angelic halo softly caressed her face; and the way she smiled tenderly as she cradled her violin?... it was so much more than Bucky had ever imagined.  Her assessment of Eric's talent on the piano was right on target; he played extraordinarily well.  The two of them together was absolute magic... and the night had just begun!  When they finished their version of Jar of Hearts, the crowd applauded wildly.  Eric stood and bowed slightly before pointing at Holly who also bowed her head as smiled brightly.  Looking into the crowd, she spotted Bucky and her smile turned into a silly grin... Bucky took that opportunity to send her a discreet two finger salute, which meant more to her than he could know. 

For the next piece, more of the orchestra joined in, playing "Rain" by Simply Three, another wildly popular number that the crowd loved. On this one, Holly and Jean shined together, along with the cello, drums and eventually several other instruments completed the sound. With each new piece, more and more members of the orchestra took their place on stage and by the end of the 5th song, all members were accounted for.  Bucky had never seen anything quite like it and he couldn't help the sense of pride, not just for Holly, but for Jean, Eric and all of the others... they were all so talented!

By the end of the night, Bucky's felt as if every emotion he posessed had been through the ringer. The entire evening had been filled with songs of love, heartbreak, loss, longing... the music had been crafted together like a love story, using old and new pieces of music that everyone knew and loved and wanted to hear over and over again.

As the musicians graciously accepted the thunderous applause during their final curtain call, Holly was overwhelmed by the crowd's reaction, and nearly brought to tears by their whistling and stomping feet when she and Eric took their bows together. Spotting Bucky again, she gave him a small wave as he beamed at her, his broad shoulders straining under the dress jacket he wore.  She hadn't noticed before how handsome he looked, as he sat in the shadows on the ground level.  When she left the stage, she grabbed one of the many attendants and asked that he please show Mr. Barnes the way backstage, pointing him out and getting a nod from Bucky as he watched.

+++

As corks popped and champagne flowed, laughter filled the room and everyone congratulated each other on a job well done. The Conductor made his way around to each musician, giving hugs and shaking hands and reminding everyone that they needed to celebrate lightly as they would be back on stage in less than 24 hours to do it all over again.  He needn't worry as they had all played concert seasons before and it wasn't too long until the party began to break up.

Bucky, who hadn't left Holly's side for even a second since she had thrown her arms around him when he had joined her backstage, was looking quite content and happy to just watch. He had shaken hands with everyone who greeted him as he stood with Holly and was quite generous with his congratulations to Eric, whom he had decided was a good guy and an important part of Holly's life. 

Grabbing her things, Holly tucked her arm under Bucky's as they left the building through a back exit. The night air was mild and the stars shone like jewels above them... and still Bucky could not take his eyes off of her.

"You... all of you but especially you, were simply amazing. I'm so proud of you!" he gave her a squeeze and she laughed.

"Bucky, I think you might be just a little bit partial, but I am SO happy that you enjoyed tonight! It all felt so right, I was hoping it sounded as good as it felt!"

"It did, it really, really did. And why didn't you tell me what a big part you had?  I mean, it was almost like watching a play unfold and you and Eric were obviously the main characters.   And you were both perfect.  Not to mention that you look so damn...hot ..." he sighed and then stopped in his tracks, looking around the almost empty lot.

"Bucky... what is it?"

"I, I just remembered that I don't have my bike. I hitched a ride here because I didn't want to mess up my hair..."  He was teasing her.  The plan had always been for them to ride home together.

Holly laughed, "Well, I can certainly understand that. You look quite smashing and it would have been a shame to mess with that.  I suppose I can give you a lift, as long as you promise you won't stomp a hole through the floor when you think I'm not breaking soon enough."

Scrunching his nose and looking heavenward for a moment, he nodded, "Okay. I promise to be brave."

Holly swatted his arm and surprised him when she handed him the keys... "How about, YOU drive?"

"Really?" he took the keys and opened the passenger door for her, not even trying to hide his relief.

"Yep. I can ogle you while you drive, and there's nothing you can do but let me."

Bucky gave her a look that clearly said "oh please" and she smiled sweetly. She did however watch him closely all the way home, deciding he was not just a pirate, but the sexiest damn pirate ever!

+++

Standing on the front porch Holly fumbled with door key, as usual. She had complained on several other occasions that she was going to change the locks to get a key that would work and Bucky would smile and take the key gently from her hand, sliding it in and opening the lock in one smooth motion; this night was no different.  As he pushed the door open, he pointed out that he had seen her unlock the door with no trouble several times when she didn't know he was watching.

"Oh..." Holly gave him a shy look. "I... I guess I get a little nervous.  I mean, I'm never sure if I should ask you in or if you would rather not or...what I should do.  Silly, I know." she bowed her head slightly in embarrassment.

Lifting her chin with his fingers, his eyes bright, he smiled softly, "Holly, I always, ALWAYS want to come in. I always want to stay.  I always want to be with you." 

"I know," she whispered as his lips brushed her cheek.

"Then why are you nervous? I'll do whatever you want me to. I love you." he kissed her neck, raising goose bumps on her skin.

She was trying to make a point and Bucky wasn't making it easy.

"Because, I want you to stay..."

"mmmm..." he pulled her close, his hands ghosting across her back as he searched for the zipper on her dress.

Bucky, who'd had a quick lunch and missed dinner all together paused to study her face, his stomach choosing that moment to growl loudly in distress. In the quietness of the living room, it seemed to echo for much longer than humanly possible. Holly's eyes grew large as she fought back her laughter, the look on Bucky's face was simply priceless.

"Well. It doesn't get any sexier than that, now does it?" he growled, pulling her close again.

"Bucky wait! Did you not eat dinner?  To be honest, I was a sort of anxious and just nibbled on some fruit.  I could use a little something..."

Kissing her neck again he mumbled, "I'm trying to give you a little something if you'll cooperate..."

Laughing she pulled away and grabbed his hand. "No... c'mon, lets whip up a couple of sandwiches with the works. Seriously, I'm hungry," she cocked her head and gave him that sweet smile of hers, that smile that most men would kill for...

Lowering his head and raising his brows he sighed and nodded, joining her in the kitchen as he mumbled something about being hungry too and getting no respect until she flipped on the radio and drowned him out.   Holly got to work, grabbing a frying pan, bread, butter and cheese while she put Bucky on plates, dill pickle spears and potato chip duty.  Before long they were sitting down at the table and Bucky picked up his first sandwich, a most curious expression on his face.

"Did you not like this one... or this one?" he asked as he studied the flat sandwiches.

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently.

"I... I've just never seen .... "

Holly burst out laughing. "In my family, it's called a 'smashed grilled cheese sandwich'.  It's all in the wrist.  Try it, you like it!"

And he did like it. A lot. Holly didn't talk about her family very much and Bucky was always interested in hearing the few memories she shared.  These sandwiches held a special place in her heart, and that made them even better. 

When they had finished eating they cleaned up and put everything back in its place. Wiping her hands on a dish towel, Holly turned to look at Bucky, who by this time had removed his jacket, pulled his shirt free from his trousers and unbuttoned it to hang loosely with the sleeves rolled up, trying to get comfortable.  In her mind, he was the perfect version of a pirate in a historical romance; his long dark hair pulled back, bristly scruff covering his cheeks and neck, the close shave from earlier a distant memory. He wore a t-shirt, but she had no problem picturing the broad chest and powerful muscles hidden beneath.  His metal arm glinted softly in the light and she smiled inwardly imagining it as his version of the sword he would wield with deadly precision.

"Hey," she stood in front of him, her hands roaming across the afore mentioned chest, "I, I was about to make a suggestion earlier, before the need for sustenance overpowered us." Bucky snorted, but did not make mention of the fact that he could have gone all night without eating, food. He placed his hands on her hips and gave her his full attention.

"Well," she cleared her throat, placed her hands on his arms and soldiered on, "I was wondering, I mean I know we haven't really been together all that long and I may be way out of line, but I was curious if you might possibly... if you...well, what you would think about us... I mean if you would want to ..."

Bucky's head was spinning. She was absolutely adorable when she got all flustered, but it was also a little bit maddening!   Trusting that whatever she was trying to suggest was something that **she** wanted, and having long since surrendered to the truth that he would do anything she asked, he took a chance, assuring her "Holly. Whatever it is, whatever you want, the answer is yes. Just, tell me what it is."

"Move in with me." There. She said it.  The silence that followed was alive, crackling with anticipation and on Bucky's part a great deal of disbelief.   Maybe they hadn't been dating a long time, but long enough that he knew what a big deal this was.  Holly had never lived with a man that wasn't family, not even Drake **_(_** _we'll get to him later **)**_ and she had been ready to spend the rest of her **life** with that guy. Yeah, this was big and he didn't want to mess it up. So what was the first thing that rolled off his velvet tongue?

"Here? In your house?"

Her nose twitched slightly as she considered his answer.

"Wait,wait,wait!!" Bucky realized how stupid that had sounded, "Of course... of course you mean here. I'm just, I really didn't expect this."

Taking his awkward response for rejection, Holly quickly spoke up, "Oh!! Bucky, that's okay!  I don't even know what made ask. I mean, why would you want to?  I just, I wasn't thinking straight.  I'm sorry."

Cupping the sides of her face, he leaned down in a stance that forced her to look into his eyes.

"Holly. I didn't say no, or that I don't want to!  Of course I want to and I will... if you are sure that's what you want?  I mean, it's kind of a big step and I've heard  that you musician types need your creative space and I don't want to get in your way or... or... what the fuck am I saying??!!!!  Yes. Holly, I will move in with you."

Holly's eyes twinkled as she smiled at him and he said, "Did you really ask me WHY would I want to?"

Her smirk was growing broader now.

"You little vixen!! You were just trying to get me riled up!! You _knew_ I would say yes!"  With that, he began a voracious attack of tickling and kissing and guiding her path as he walked her backwards to the stairway, then chased her up the steps to her bedroom.

The giggles grew mostly silent as Bucky's kisses grew deeper and lingered on her hot skin. He found the elusive zipper again and as he slowly lowered it, Holly struggled to push his shirt over and off his shoulders. He stopped to help, pulling his t-shirt off as well before slipping her dress down her body and letting it drop to the floor.  Once their bare bodies were under the sheet, Holly reached behind his neck and pulled the tie out of his hair.

"There's my Bucky, my Winter Soldier," she spoke in a sultry whisper, "my love."

He replied, "I'm here baby... By your side, always."


	10. EPILOGUE

 

 

The rest of that Summer, Fall and even most of the Winter had passed so quickly, Holly had to double check her calendar to believe that Valentine's Day was only 2 days away! She and Bucky had shared Independence Day, Labor Day, Halloween, (she had given him a very hard time when he chose to dress as the Winter Soldier to pass out candy, asking him if he couldn't be a little more original than that; pointing out that it was the same as a cop dressing as a cop or doctor as a doctor.  Bucky disagreed and smiled broadly at her when the kids squealed in delight to see him in his 'uniform').  They had spent Thanksgiving and Christmas together as well, their house overflowing with decorations and Christmas carols and cookies well past the new year. 

And now, with Spring looming just a few weeks away, Holly found herself in a reflective mood.   She pulled on her jacket and stepped outside to fill the bird feeders that seemed to always be empty and stopped when she heard music coming from the garage apartment.  It was that 'techno-shit' as Bucky called it, making her smile.  They'd had a difficult time agreeing on what the next tenant should be like.  Bucky thought  a hot, single chick might be cool, since the previous tenant had been a mega stud-muffin.  Holly did not agree, with the hot, single chick part anyway.  When Andy had showed up one evening to take a look, Holly was convinced they had found the right guy.  College grad, working for a large advertising firm in an entry level  development position, he was already making a good salary; he gave the appearance of your typical nerd and was polite and friendly.  Bucky wasn't so sure, and had his friend Steve check out the guys background before agreeing that Andy was acceptable.

Returning to the house she went back to cleaning. It wasn't officially Spring yet, but she figured there was no time like the present to get started.  In the bedroom she had already gone through all of her drawers and sorted out the things she didn't need or want or simply no longer wore.  As she sorted through the closet, arms loaded with clothes, her feet got tangled in the hem of a long dress and she felt herself falling.  Reaching out for the first thing she could grab, she pulled one of Bucky's dress jackets off the hanger as she gently dropped to the floor.   The hanger it had been on was not the right kind, thank goodness or she might have torn the pocket right off!! 

Standing up, she put her clothes on the bed then found a proper hanger to put the jacket back where she got it. Except... what was this little box IN the pocket?  Pulling it out to take a look, her heart beat wildly in her chest.  This wasn't right.  First of all, it was Bucky's jacket.  And, it might not be for her.  And if it was for her, it was obviously meant to be a surprise.  And it sure looked like a ring box.  And maybe just one little peak wouldn't hurt... and  ...

"Damn it Holly! What are you doing?"

Caught in the act, there was nothing she could do but look guilty and tell him how sorry she was, trying to explain how she had found it.

Bucky sighed deeply. "Do you like it?"

"I didn't look at it! I... I only found the box just before you walked in, I swear!"

With a doubtful expression Bucky asked, "Do you want to see it?"

"I don't know ... I mean, yes, I do. But only if you want me to."

"hmmm.... I shouldn't let you. You know that, right?"

Holly still held the box in her hand when an odd expression crossed her face.

When Steven Strange had gone back and 'corrected' the past, not everything changed, but some things did. Holly did meet Greg and they dated for a few months, but nothing serious ever came of it.  In fact, he had actually moved across the country and now lived in California, never even meeting Randolph Woodworth.  It was the man who came after, Drake Halloway; musician in a local rock band that was beginning to get national attention; a talented, handsome man who knew what he wanted and intended to get it; the man who claimed to love Holly and to whom she had given her whole heart; the man who proposed to her and promised her the world; that was the man she caught in her bed with another woman, two weeks before they were supposed to get married.

What Bucky found stuffed in the drawer of the writing desk in this new reality was a copy of the vows that Drake had been working on. They were actually quite beautiful of course.  After all, he did write many of the band's songs and knew how to phrase things perfectly.  Holly had told him about the day she had discovered Drake's betrayal.  She told him how he had tried desperately to explain; how he apologized; how he pleaded with her, and finally,  when it became clear that she was finished with him, he had left those vows on the writing desk for her to find after he cleared out.  HE was the reason for the wall that she had built before Bucky arrived.  And Bucky wondered now, if maybe a small part of her didn't regret that lost love.

"Holly, I can't imagine my life without you. I want you to be my wife, but if, if you can't do it, I'll understand.  I hope that you trust me and my love enough to say yes, but I know the pain he caused you is still tucked away there, deep inside and if you need more time to heal... I can wait.  I will wait until the end of time for you.  I promise you that."

She didn't speak for a few minutes, but when she did, her voice was strong and determined.

"Ask me. Please, ask me."

Bucky opened the box and took the ring out, holding it between the finger and thumb of his right hand, he knelt down on one knee and held her hand in his left. Gazing into her beautiful eyes, he felt a wave of emotion and couldn't speak for a couple of seconds. Finally he asked, "Holly Baxter, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?  Will you marry me?"

Holly dropped to her knees in front of him, holding tight to his hand and kissing the metal fingers as if they were as natural as flesh, "Yes! Yes, I will marry you James Buchanan Barnes, and I will love you all the days of our lives!!"

Bucky laughed out loud and after kissing her soundly and wiping his and her tears away, he let her try the ring on. Of course it was stunning and fit perfectly and she couldn't take her eyes off it until he took her hand and began sliding the ring off again.

"Bucky? What are you doing?" The fear in her voice sounded so pitiful he quickly explained, "Sweetie, this is your Valentine's Day surprise.  You can't wear it until after Valentine's Day or all of our friends will know that you were snooping and found it!"

"Oh... oh! You mean our friends knew you were ... which ones?"

"Pretty much all of them. I mean, I even had to run the ring by Jean for inspection and approval."

Holly laughed happily, "Well, if they all already know, does it really matter that I found out early?"

"Yep," he spoke with mock authority, "You have to learn not to snoop in other people's pockets!"

After shaking her head in fake disgust, Holly nodded and took one last peek at the ring before Bucky closed the box lid and put it on the top shelf, tucking it under the black vest he wore as the Winter Soldier.

"Soooo," she asked innocently, "If I have to wait for the ring, does that mean YOU have to wait for your gift?"

"Well, that's up to you baby. Unless you're talking about this..."  Bucky moved to her dresser and pulled out the new lacey lingerie she had bought to wear for him after she noticed him slobbering over a similar outfit in one of the magazines she left laying on the coffee table.  "I think you should wear this tonight, what do you think?"

"Bucky Barnes!! You, you cheater!!" she smacked his arm and beat softly on his chest as he pulled her close.

"Ok, ok! Save the gift...you don't need to wear anything at all.  I'm good with that!"

+++

Three days later, Bucky and Holly announced their engagement to their friends, all of whom did admiral jobs of acting surprised by the happy news. Four months later they were married, ready to begin the next chapter of their lives.

 

 


End file.
